Days Like This
by janissima
Summary: Sam learns that the old adage Sometimes it doesn't pay to get out of bed, even applies to theoretical astrophysists like herself. Can her long, challenging day possibly end on a good note?
1. Chapter 1

**Days Like This**

_Sam learns that the old adage, "sometimes it just doesn't pay to get out of bed" applies even to theoretical astrophysicists every now and again. _

_Hi all! Started working on something short after my trip overseas. Seeing as all of my stories tend to be really long :) I thought I'd attempt a one-shot, light-heartedfic. Alas, I can't seem to contain myself to one chapter,but this story will only be about 3 or 4 chapters. Takes place around season 5 or so but no big spoilers...and for once, no children in my fic! Can you believe it? Hope you enjoy this look into a long, challenging day for Sam. No Sam/Jack ship in this one, but friendship and flirty focused a bit! Hope you enjoy!_

**Chapter 1 – Just Getting Started**

Samantha Carter, Major in the USAF, assigned to the most highly classified program in the country, theoretical astrophysicist and certified genius extraordinaire, was exhausted; a state she seemed to find herself in more and more lately. Stealing a glance at her watch, Sam groaned softly. 0200. No wonder she could hardly keep her eyes open. She cast a glare at the object that was the cause of her latest state of fatigue.

It looked rather innocuous, really. Just an oblong rectangular metal box, about fifteen inches long by four inches tall, with two locks on the front. Two locks that she had spent the past twelve hours trying to open. They seemed to operate on a small electromagnetic field that was created by an equally minute set of crystals located on the back side of the box, but beyond that, Sam had no idea how to open the damned thing. And it was starting to make that small bubble of frustration that had started hours ago grow larger with each passing moment.

Sam backed away from the large magnifying glass that was pointed directly at the back of the box, tossed down one of several tools she had been using, and stretched her back, groaning out loud as the tension was slightly released. Figuring a little more stretching could only help, she arched her back even further. Her eyes blinked in surprise when the sound of her back cracking loudly was followed by a soft chuckle. She swung her head around swiftly and made a face at the man who stood in her open doorway.

"Sounds kind of like Jack's knees when he stands up," came the amused voice, accompanied by an equally amused look.

Sam rolled her eyes and turned to face the man more fully. "Funny, Daniel." She looked carefully at him, then cocked her head in confusion. "What are you doing up so late?"

"Or early," he supplied, looking pointedly at his watch.

Sam gave him a small smile. "Or early," she agreed, then waited expectantly for his answer.

Daniel waved the folder in his hand at her. "Just going over some last minute notes on the mining treaty with the Perovians before the briefing tomorrow… er, this morning I guess. There were a few…details that needed closer inspection." He frowned as he looked down at the folder, then looked back up at Sam. Taking in the fatigue around her eyes, his frown deepened. "You still trying to figure out that box SG-6 brought back from P5X-996?"

Sam sighed and turned back to her work table. "Yeah. Not having much luck with it, either. You'd think with the two locks and those crystals, it would just be a matter of finding the right combination, so to speak. But nothing I've tried has worked so far." She turned back to him. "I really wanted to have this figured out before we go and finalize things with the Perovians." She sighed again, ran her hand through her hair and shrugged her shoulders. "Don't think that's going to happen though." They both looked around her lab at the other projects waiting for her attention and Daniel winced in sympathy.

"Wish I could help but, seeing as our briefing is in," he checked his watch again, "Five hours, I think it's going to have to wait. We should probably go try to get some shut eye. You know how funny Jack gets when we're up all night working...seems to think sleep is an important commodity before a mission." They smiled and shared a look of understanding at his words before Sam turned to shut down her equipment. Daniel waited patiently by her door.

"Well, I won't tell him how late we were up if you don't," she said with a smile as she finished up and met him at the entrance to her lab.

"Deal," Daniel held out his hand and shook Sam's lightly. Then he raised his eyebrows at her in mock warning. "Just don't start yawning during my part of the briefing; it will be a dead give away."

"Me? Yawn? Never," she replied with a grin, then put her hand over her mouth as she did just that.

Daniel laughed as she gave him a slightly embarrassed grin, then led the way out of her lab. "Well, sleep well, Sam," he gave a small wave. "See you in a few hours."

"Night, Daniel," she replied with a smile. With one last look inside her lab, Sam sighed. She really hated leaving things half done but knew without a doubt that she couldn't be tired or distracted on their upcoming mission; even if it was just the finalization of a treaty.

Sam swiped her card through the security lock, watching for a moment as the door slid shut and locked automatically. Another yawn escaped her mouth, drowning out the sound of an instrument rolling slowly down her lab table and bumping into the back of the rectangular box. If Sam had seen the resulting light show displayed by this innocuous event, she would have been back in her lab in an instant. As it was, Samantha Carter turned her tired body away from her lab and headed down the corridor to her quarters, where she hoped to get a good refreshing four hours of sleep before she had to be up once again.

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_Beep, beep, beep_. Sam reached out and slapped the offending instrument that was making so much noise, rolled over, and promptly fell back asleep. She was unaware that the abused alarm clock rolled to the floor, its digital numbers continuing on their journey through time. Though normally she woke up quite quickly, it had taken her mind much longer than her body to shut down early this morning and so, she had just fallen into a deep sleep not more than two hours ago.

Forty minutes after the alarm clock plummeted to the floor, she was jolted awake by a loud pounding on her door. "Sam! Get up! You're going to be late!" Daniel's voice urged from the other side of the door.

Casting a quick glance at where the clock was supposed to be, Sam looked around in confusion. Her glance somehow landed on the floor, which was where the clock lay on it side and now read 0640. Sam swore loudly and jumped out of bed. "Dammit!" She hunted quickly around the room for her clothes. "I'll be there ASAP, Daniel. Stall for me, OK?" came the frantic voice from within the room. Daniel could hear drawers opening and closing recklessly.

"Uh, OK," he replied, then winced as he heard the unmistakable sound of a body part running into a piece of furniture, quickly followed by another loud curse. "Uh, I'll have some coffee ready for you too," he offered more loudly, knowing from his own experience that she would desperately need coffee. The only answer he could make out was another loud curse followed by equally loud muttering about people who scheduled briefings at such ungodly hours in the morning.

Daniel made a face and hurried away. Coffee he could do, and stalling, well, he was darn good at that if he did say so himself. Keeping Jack from noticing and commenting about Sam's lateness, well, that was a whole other story, he thought to himself as he rushed through the corridors.

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The four men had been sitting listening to Daniel go on and on about the great cultural alliance the Perovians would offer them, when Sam rushed breathlessly up the stairs to the briefing room. She stopped just outside the doorway, ran a hand through her slightly disheveled hair and tugged down on her blue uniform jacket before entering in what she hoped was a professional manner. She bit her lower lip for a brief moment when four pair of eyes turned to look at her as she entered.

"I'm sorry I'm late, General," she offered hastily as she crossed the room and took her seat next to Teal'c. The large man next to her eyed her with concern, gave her a slight bow in greeting, then turned his attention back to Daniel.

General Hammond eyed her carefully. "I understand the fact that you are extremely busy lately, Major Carter. We are all. Never the less, meetings have starting times for a specific purpose. I trust you will make sure this doesn't happen again," came the slight reprimand from the head of the table.

"Yes, sir," she replied apologetically. Across from her, she could feel her CO's gaze burning into her. She didn't even get to a silent count of two before she heard his caustic comment.

"Nice of you to join us, Carter. Hope we didn't take you away from something too important…like your beauty sleep." His eyes lingered on her unkempt hair and his eyebrow lifted questioningly. Although he knew full well that Major Samantha Carter wouldn't brush off a briefing just to sleep in a little, he was more than a bit puzzled by her actions. In fact, he was almost _certain_ that she had spent a good portion of the night working in her lab: even after he had stopped in at 2300 and told her to hit the sack.

Sam winced at his comment and cast a quick glance at him. She knew she looked like she had just woken up; she could never fool him. She hadn't had a chance to grab a bite to eat much less shower. Since his comment required no direct response, Sam chose to remain quiet and tossed her gaze pleadingly up at Daniel, almost begging him to begin.

"Exactly what time _did_ you go to bed, Major?" Jack persisted, not the least bit bothered by the glower Daniel now sent his way nor the guilty flush that stole across Sam's cheeks. Both responses, in essence, gave him his answer.

General Hammond stopped the verbal sparring from even getting started. "I believe Major Carter was working on something that I gave top priority to, Colonel." Sam cast the General a grateful look. "In addition," he continued, "I believe she has not had the best role model in getting to early morning briefings in a timely manner," he stated, pointedly looking at Jack.

Point taken, Jack cleared his throat and looked away. The General then turned back to Daniel, who still stood at the head of the table. "Can we please begin now, Dr. Jackson? And let's skip the cultural advantage components of this alliance. I think we've covered that in enough detail for the moment," he stated shortly.

"Uh, certainly General," Daniel replied. Before he began to lay the groundwork for the alliance with the Perovians, Daniel nodded his head toward the coffee mug just in front of Sam. Teal'c unobtrusively slid the pot of coffee over to her, and she took it with a grateful smile directed toward both men. Her smile disappeared when she went to pour herself a cup, as only a few drops trickled out. Sam looked accusingly around the table, wondering who had taken the last drops. Daniel just shrugged his shoulder in confusion, and Teal'c gave her a quick shake of his head. Sam then turned her gaze on her CO, who returned the look with a knowing smile.

"You snooze, you lose, Carter," he stated with a twinkle in his eye, reaching for his own full mug and taking a sip. He sighed pleasantly in an exaggerated fashion, then turned his attention to Daniel. "Proceed Danny boy," he said as he made a waving motion with his hand. Sam glowered at Jack for a moment, then opened the folder before her. She quietly talked herself out of killing her CO the next chance she got.

Several minutes later, Sam bit back a yawn as Daniel began to explain in more detail what they might expect once they arrived on the planet. Though she was discreet in covering her yawn, it didn't escape Teal'c's notice. With an assuredness of purpose that only he could pull off, Teal'c reached across the table, grabbed Jack's full mug, slid it across the table, and traded it with Sam's empty one. She gave him a smile of delight upon receiving the full mug and raised it eagerly to her lips. Both she and Teal'c ignored Jack's aggravated, "Hey!"

Hammond shook his head, wondering to himself how this group managed to continue to be one of the SGC's finest when they couldn't even make it through a briefing. "People!" The one word was enough to get everyone back on track, although Jack still sent angry darts of annoyance across the table, which Sam and Teal'c dutifully ignored.

Sam sipped at the mug of coffee and kept her attention focused on Daniel, who had another fifteen minutes of discourse to share with them. She seemed to be doing a fairly good job of keeping any more unwanted attention off herself until she heard Daniel say, "There is one thing that we have to be a little…uh, sensitive about." He cast a quick glance Sam's way, then turned back to his notes. "It seems that the Perovians are a fairly patriarchal society."

As soon as she heard the words, Sam closed her eyes and groaned inwardly. Not another one, she thought to herself. Just last week, when they had engaged in a meet and greet with the people on P4Z-199, she had been forced to remain outside the temple while the "men" talked, so as not to defile their holy temple. She'd had a hard time not showing them the _true_ meaning of the word defile. And the week before that, her presence had been questioned on another mission by the locals, who seemed to think a woman's place was either in the cooking rooms or in a man's bed. Much to her chagrin, more than one of the male inhabitants on that planet had invited her to become part of the latter group. Thankfully, her team mates had kept her away from the more insistent of the men for the remainder of that mission.

Sam opened her eyes and looked at Daniel. "And what exactly do you mean by the statement that the Perovians are _fairly_ patriarchal, Daniel," she stated with a slightly biting tone. "Either they are, or they aren't." She considered him for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. "And why didn't you mention this to me earlier?" her voice rose a notch. Sam was more than a bit put out that, during their late night meeting, he hadn't thought to mention this unsettling fact to her.

Teal'c answered the first question when Daniel began to squirm. "The Perovians are indeed a patriarchal society, Major Carter. While the women are given many freedoms, they are not allowed to partake in certain activities. One of these is working within the Naquadah mines. It is deemed an unsafe and unclean environment for Perovian females. I believe that any female who enters the mining compound is severely punished."

Sam's gaze turned back toward Daniel after Teal'c's explanation. "Great. And do they happen to know that the SGC's foremost expert on Naquadah mining happens to _be_ a woman, and that the only way I can do my job is by going _into_ the mines?" Daniel gulped audibly at her sarcastic tone.

Jack raised his finger. "That appears to be where we've hit a bit of a snag, wouldn't you agree Daniel?"

Daniel let his gaze sweep the room, then cleared his throat. "Uh, yes, just a bit." He turned toward Sam, his eyes apologetic. "I'm sorry Sam. The reason I didn't mention it earlier is that SG-9 has been doing the preliminary discourse with Morren, the leader of the Perovians. They've been, well, trying to prepare him for your presence." She raised her eyebrows at his words and waited for him to continue. "I'm afraid he's not been entirely convinced quite yet." Daniel winced at his own words and pushed his glasses back up on his nose. He knew how Sam felt about these types of situations and had been hoping that everything would have been sorted out by now.

Sam thought for a moment, heaved a sigh, then slapped her folder closed. The continued frustration of running into these types of situations and having to fight for respect off-world, her heavy workload, and her lack of sleep, caused Sam to be much more caustic that she normally would have been; especially in the presence of General Hammond. "Well, I guess that means someone else will be going in my place." She put her hands on the table and rose to her feet. "Let me know how it goes."

Not expecting a reaction like this from the usually composed Major Carter, all four men stared at her for a moment before General Hammond barked out, "Major Carter, you have not been dismissed. Resume your seat immediately." She flushed, then instantly did as ordered. Sam looked down, still angry but also somewhat abashed at her outburst. She shot a quick glance at Jack, who sat regarding her with a puzzled frown.

When the General began to speak, Sam hesitantly met his irate gaze. "While none of us here presumes to understand the difficulties you may have faced recently with certain alien cultures not accepting you as a full-fledged member of SG-1, you never-the-less _are_ a member of the US military. And as such, you will refrain from making any such outbursts in the future, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," Sam mumbled quietly, not quite meeting his gaze but instead focusing her attention on a spot just behind his shoulder. Jack watched her carefully, his frown deepening. This wasn't like Carter at all. Yeah, she'd had it a bit tough lately and she had a heavy workload, but she never, ever lost it during a briefing. He acknowledged to himself that his own teasing earlier probably hadn't helped matters. Maybe he'd better talk to the General after this mission about lightening her load a bit... and making her take a vacation.

Wanting to get everything back on track, General Hammond directed their attention back to Daniel. "Dr. Jackson, I don't believe you were quite finished."

"Uhm, no, not quite." Daniel gave Sam a sympathetic look before continuing on. "Sam, while Morren hasn't been convinced about allowing you to go to the mines, he is willing to meet with you…well, with us…and discuss it further. I'm sure we'll be able to convince him that we can't complete negotiations without you," he assured her with a smile.

"Piece of cake, Carter," Jack added helpfully. "You can talk a person into just about anything. Or just confuse him with lots of big words…you're pretty darn good at that!" he grinned at her, relieved to see a small smile pass her lips, although she wouldn't meet his gaze.

"I am most confident in your abilities to convince Morren of the necessity of your presence, Major Carter," Teal'c added his own two cents worth with a nod of his head.

Feeling slightly better by their show of support, Sam raised her head and smiled slightly at all three men. "Thanks guys, I appreciate the show of support." She cast a glance at the General, then took a breath. "And I do apologize for the outburst, Sir. It won't happen again."

Jack waved his hand at her. "Think nothing of it. I was about to yell at Daniel myself." Sam bit back a smile when Jack gave the General an innocent look upon catching the older man's glare.

Shaking his head once more at the team before him, General Hammond rose to his feet. "If that is all, Dr. Jackson, SG-1, you have a go." He looked at Sam, who had risen to her feet along with Jack and Teal'c. "I am sure you will accomplish your mission with the utmost sensitivity, Major Carter. I need not remind _all_ of you how imperative this alliance is for Earth," he looked expectantly at the four people standing around the table.

All kidding aside, Jack answered for them. "No, Sir. You don't."

"Good. Then you are dismissed. You leave in one hour. And Major Carter?" When she turned to look at him, his eyes softened. "I suggest you get yourself a proper cup of coffee and some breakfast before departing." Sam smiled and mumbled a "Yes, Sir" in agreement. Then the General turned and left the room, retreating to his office to fill out the never ending paperwork that accompanied his job.

Jack clapped his hands together. "Well kids, looks like we have some wheeling and dealing to get done. Sure hope the weather's nice. I really _hate_ trying to broker an alliance in crummy weather. Just spoils the mood!"

Teal'c raised an eyebrow, Daniel rolled his eyes, and Sam remained quiet, her eyebrows knit in a slight frown. Daniel looked hesitantly at her, wondering at her silent contemplation. "Sam? You OK with all of this?" When she didn't respond right away, he took a step closer. "Look, I'm sorry…"

She looked up at Daniel then and waved away his apology. Shaking her head, she said, "It's fine Daniel. I was just thinking." She ignored the "Big surprise there" comment issued from Jack.

Taking another step closer, Daniel asked with concern, "What were you thinking about?"

He was surprised to see the small grin escape her lips. Sam cocked her head playfully. "Well, I was just wondering… I won't have to wear a dress there, will I?"


	2. When In Rome

_Thanks for the reviews and the hits so far! It's always a bit nervewracking to post something new! Enjoy!_**

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**Chapter 2 – When in Rome**

While she had been only teasing when she had made the comment about the dress, two hours later, Sam found herself seated in front of Morren, leader of the Perovians, wearing not quite a dress but not her standard uniform either. The exalted leader of this fine planet had decreed that he would not sit with her to discuss doing a man's work while she wore the clothing of a man. It had taken everything she had not to voice her opinion on the subject and take him to task, nor return to the SGC. She had held her tongue with effort, but had in fact turned around and taken a few steps toward the gate, only to find her progress immediately halted.

"Carter," Jack had caught her arm as she was about to storm off. "Play nice with the new neighbors." He noted her flashing eyes and added quietly, "You know how important this is to the SGC."

Sam's eyes had narrowed slightly in her anger and frustration. "But sir…"

"AH!" he held a finger in front of her face. "Our mission here, first and foremost, is to get you into those mines so you can do your thing. Only then can we progress with trade talks, remember?" He studied her for a moment, then cocked his head to the side. "What's the matter? Don't think you can cut dressing like the natives for an hour or two?" He knew the best way to get his 2IC to acquiesce in this type of situation, was to make it a challenge, rather than an order.

Eyebrows raised, she stated directly, "Need I remind you, Sir, what happened the _last time_ I had to dress like the natives?"

Jack couldn't help the grin that crossed his face at the memory of her in the long, blue, low cut dress. It had made him really want to 'reach out and touch someone'. At her annoyed throat clearing and slight nudge to his arm, Jack quickly erased the smile from his face. "No need to worry, Carter. We won't leave your side for a moment. Well, aside from when you're changing of course," he offered with a small smile at her. He felt a pang of guilt at the way her face flushed lightly and her eyes dimmed before she turned away from him. He watched her with concern as she made her way back toward Morren.

Sam huffed angrily as she returned to the shaded dias, took a deep breath to calm herself, then turned toward Daniel, who was trying to smooth things over with Morren. Standing in front of the two men, arms crossed, she stated flatly, "Where do I change?"

Daniel had heaved a silent breath of relief as he watched his team mate being led into a small hut to change. He knew this was hard for her her, but he really hoped things would work out, for all their sakes.

And now Sam found herself seated on a cushion in front of Morren, her legs tucked under her as she earnestly prepared to make her request to be allowed entrance to the mines. The clothing she wore was really quite comfortable, a fact Sam wouldn't admit even under duress. But she vowed that there was no way in hell she would wear this outfit down to the mines should her request be granted. She needed the freedom of movement her BDU's would allow, not to mention the fact that she felt a bit exposed in the thin, light clothing. She would wear these clothes for now as a concession to the Perovians, but that was all.

The gauzy grey-blue top had long sleeves that shifted in the light breeze. A darker blue piping ran around the rounded neck and down the V- shaped front, drawing unwanted attention to her chest. The long skirt was made of the same light, gauzy material. Though clingy through her waist and hips, the bottom flared out gently and the overall effect accentuated her long legs, much to the admiration of the single men in attendance...and some of the married ones as well. Sam had been relieved to find she would be wearing a skirt and not some opulent, restrictive, heavy dress. That she was required to be barefoot was something Sam resolutely pushed from her mind. She had been reassured to see that most of the women in the village actually wore outfits similar in style, with one or two of them sporting long pants made of the same light, airy material as Sam's skirt. And although none of the women wore shoes, there were also no veils to be found among them, something that Sam had been pleased to note.

Though he wouldn't admit it, Jack too was relieved when he saw the outfit his 2IC was wearing. It was apparently feminine enough looking to appease Morren, but conservative enough not to cause Carter undue discomfort. In fact, she looked _quite_ comfortable, he thought to himself as he sat next to her. Well, aside from the bare feet, he mused with a small grin. Her feet were quite firmly tucked under her, and every now and again, she tugged at the hem of the skirt, making sure her toes didn't poke out.

Jack thought she looked quite stunning, though he wouldn't voice that thought either. He looked around at the other men in attendance and frowned when two of the younger Perovian's seemed to let their gazes linger on Sam much longer than was necessary. Jack was certain that no one on his team had any desire to repeat the experience with the Shavadi, so he glanced behind Sam's back to give Teal'c a meaningful look. The Jaffa indicated with an inclination of his head that he understood. Jack and Teal'c carefully watched the other men, throwing glares their way whenever their gazes lingered too long on Sam. After several minutes of this activity, when Jack was assured the men had received his message, he let his attention drift back to the conversation at hand. Sam was earnestly doing her best to convince Morren of the necessity of her presence at the mines.

"I understand your reluctance to send your women to the mines, Morren," Sam was stating in a respectful tone, "But you must understand, where we come from, this is what I do. I am highly trained in my field and am actually one of the foremost experts when it comes to the knowledge and mining of naquadah." She pulled a folder from her pack and opened it up. Pulling a few sheets of paper out and spreading them on the low table before her, she continued. "You see, this is an aerial view of the mines, taken from our UAV. Now right here," she pointed to a spot, "Is where the main artery lies. We can tell this from the energy readings we received from the UAV. Now, in its natural form, Naquadah…"

Jack smiled to himself as he watched Morren's eyes widen, first in surprise at the young woman's obvious knowledge, then in confusion as he was no longer able to follow her words. _Welcome to my world_, Jack thought with a grin. The older man looked up at Jack, the bewilderment evident on his face. Jack's smile widened and he shrugged his shoulders in reply. He couldn't help the man out if he wanted to…and right now, he definitely did not want to! It was rather enjoyable to watch this from the other end for once.

After another ten minutes of Sam explaining her qualifications and the necessity of mining naquadah on his planet, all became quiet as SG-1 waited for Morren's decision. The leader of the Perovian people studied the young woman in front of him carefully. She spoke well for herself and her people. She was most knowledgeable about the mineral found within the mines east of the village, as well as being extremely intelligent. And yet…"Could you not train one of the male members of your group to go in your stead, Major Carter? Our council is not comfortable changing our laws for the sake of one visitor, no matter how knowledgeable she may be."

Sam opened her mouth to answer, but Daniel jumped in first. "We understand your hesitation, Morren, and truly do not wish to upset your people or your laws in this. But Major Carter truly is the most qualified person we have and there just isn't enough time for her to train anyone to the capabilities that she already possesses." The young archaeologist's demeanor changed into a slightly more challenging tone. "Just as you wish for us to understand and accept your ways, we ask that you understand and accept ours. Only then can we make a truly beneficial alliance between both our worlds."

Morren considered the young man's words, then looked around to the other members of his council. All five of them bowed their heads, indicating that the decision was his and they would abide by it, although one of the younger men ventured to air his opinion. With an admiring smile Sam's way, he stated, "I believe that Major Carter is earnest in her declaration of her expertise in this matter, Morren. I find her to be most trustworthy in speech, as well as demeanor." He beamed approvingly at her. Sam gave him a hesitant smile, but quickly looked away, not wanting to offer him any encouragement in that regard. As such, she missed the glare Teal'c sent the young man's way, and his ensuing blanch of fear.

The leader of the Perovians looked SG-1 over carefully before announcing his decision. "Major Carter, you may go to the mines and do that which your people ask of you." Sam smiled her thanks and was about to stand up, but Morren held up his hand. "There is one stipulation, however." Sam closed her eyes briefly and then rested back on her heels, hoping he wasn't going to tell her she had to be purified or something first. Her eyes opened in surprise when she heard the next words from the leader. "Colonel O'Neill, as you are leader, you will be held responsible for the safety of this woman. Should anything befall her at the mines, you will be punished according to our customs."

Jack's eyes widened in surprise at the announcement, but he kept silent. He did shoot Daniel a questioning look, to which Daniel responded with a careless shrug. Jack's eyes narrowed, wondering what Daniel might be hiding from him.

Morren looked back at Sam and continued. "I trust you do not believe so, but our woman are revered, Major Carter, and thus highly protected. They are not allowed to venture where the dangers are deemed too great. We do not wish for them to believe they will no longer be protected, just because they see you going where no woman has been allowed before. If you come back injured or harmed, it could upset the balance of life as we know it."

Sam knew that to argue with him right then would not be well received, so she just smiled tightly and said, "I understand, Morren. Thank you for allowing this." She heard Daniel sigh quietly in relief beside her, but chose to ignore him for now.

Morren nodded, then looked at Jack. "You understand the ramifications if Major Carter were to become injured, Colonel O'Neill?"

Jack let his eyes narrow as he focused on the man in front of him. "The safety of _every_ member of my team is my foremost responsibility, Morren. One which I take very seriously." His tone deepened slightly as he added, "Rest assured, Major Carter will come to no harm."

Teal'c inclined his head toward Morren. "I too will ensure the safety of Major Carter in this endeavor. You need have no fear for her, Morren, nor that the women of your village will become unsettled at this action."

Sam winced slightly and flushed in embarrassment. Although she appreciated their words, she didn't like feeling as if she were some helpless, inept female in need of protection, nor that she might be the cause of civil unrest on a foreign planet. She looked up, a bit startled, when Jack got to his feet and said, "To tell you the truth, I don't think I'll need to watch Carter that closely. Not only does she know what she's doing, she's saved my ass more times than I can count."

Morren frowned. "I do not understand. What does this mean, _saved your ass_?"

Daniel coughed, then hastened to intervene, assisting Morren to his feet and steering him away from Jack. "It's just an expression of ours, Morren. Nothing important. So, will you be accompanying us to the mines? I'd really like to learn more about the history of the Perovian people… "

Jack and Sam shared a private smile while Daniel attempted to distract Morren. Bending down, Jack grasped her arm and helped her to her feet. He spent a quick moment appreciating the sway of her skirt and the view of her pink toes before he said, "So Carter, _lovely_ as that outfit may be on you," he smiled to himself when she blushed slightly and crossed her arms over her chest, "I don't think you should be wearing it down to the mines. Not real…practical…ya know?" he cocked an eye as he lightly fingered the thin material of her sleeve.

Sam looked down at herself and grimaced. "I wasn't planning on wearing it any longer than necessary, Sir." She cast a quick, concernedglance over toward Morren, then looked questioningly back up at Jack. Without her boots on, she lost a good two inches in height on him, causing her to crane her neck just that much more to meet his gaze.

He shooed her with his hand. "I'll handle Morty. Go. Change."

Sam smiled at him with something akin to relief, then bent to pick up her pack. "Thank you, Sir. Be back in a minute."

He waved her off. "No rush. Those mines aren't going anywhere." He watched her walk into the hut a few yards away, then turned to look at Morren and Daniel, who were still talking earnestly about something or other. The other members of the Perovian council were talking among themselves, though Jack noted with a frown the young man whose eyes followed Carter's disappearance into the hut. "I think we're going to have to keep an eye on that one, T," he remarked quietly.

Teal'c observed the young man in question. "He will not be permitted in close contact with Major Carter, O'Neill."

Jack nodded in agreement then turned more fully toward Teal'c. Adopting a casual attitude, Jack said with a smug smile, "So T, things seemed to have worked out just fine so far, wouldn't you agree?"

The large man nodded his head once. "Indeed, O'Neill. Major Carter has performed her duties admirably, but we must endeavor to keep her safe as we venture forth into the mines."

Jack frowned slightly. "Of course we will." He looked thoughtfully at Teal'c. "Say, T…not that I'm worried at all, you understand, but any idea what this 'punishment' might be if anything _does_ happen to Carter?"

Teal'c cocked his head slightly to the side, then stated with all seriousness. "Iwas led to understand thatthe Perovians strongly believe in the practice of castration, O'Neill."

Jack's eyes widened in disbelief and horror, then he gulped loudly. "You've got to be…" In a firmer tone he ordered, "You've got Carter's six, Teal'c. Every….freakin'…minute of this mission. Got that?"

Teal'c's lips compressed into a thin line, almost as if he were holding back a smile. "As you wish," he complied with a slight bow.


	3. Down We Go

**Chapter 3 –Down We Go**

Jack began the slow descent down the steep path leading to the mines, biting back a curse as small rocks shot off the edges of the path when he momentarily lost his footing. He heard the tell tale signs behind him that Carter had also slipped and heard an echoing gasp from above. Jack glanced up. Morren and several other council members were leaning over the top edge of the ravine, carefully watching the progress of the woman behind him. Down below, a contingent of miners was also watching their approach, concern for the woman behind him evident on all their faces.

Sam was slowly edging her way along as well; her concentration so focused on the path in front of her and on what she might find down below that she didn't hear the gasp nor notice her commanding officer's halt in progress. Daniel was still at the top, quietly conversing with Morren, while Teal'c had just begun his own descent to the bottom. Both team mates looked down quickly, worried that something had happened to their friends. They were relieved to find both Jack and Sam still on their feet, although they were puzzled as to why Jack had stopped mid-way down the ravine.

Recalling Teal'c's rather ominous words about the Perovians preferred method of punishment, Jack stopped where he was and waited for Carter. When she was within a few feet of him, he held out his hand and waited for her to take it. Sam looked up in surprise when she saw the hand in front of her. She frowned at him, then said, "Sir?" the question evident in her voice.

"Just thought I'd lend you a hand, Carter," Jack replied, making the commentsound rather nonchalant, but not quite meeting her gaze.

Sam's frown deepened. "Why?" she asked, clearly puzzled.

He rolled his eyes. "Because it's rather steep here, Major, in case you haven't noticed."

Samtook in their surroundings, then looked back at him. "No disrespect intended Sir, but we've traversed worse conditions than these, and you never felt the need to stop and help me before. Why now?"

Jack sighed. Now was not the time to tell her how many times he _had_ wanted to help her, but had refrained from doing so. "Well Carter, I've also never had the threat of what could be a rather nasty punishment hanging over my head, should anything happen to you. And, seeing as we have an audience," he indicated the people above with a nod of his head, "I'd really like to avoid making this one of those 'first time for everything moments', if you get my drift." He paused, then looked her directly in the eye. "So please Major, allow me to assist you and maybe we can _both_ get out of here in one piece." He held his hand up a bit higher and waited expectantly for her response.

Sam looked at his hand again, then looked up to the top of the ravine. Her eyes widened at the number of people carefully watching their progress. It didn't escape her notice that their entire audience was of the male persuasion. Sighing, she turned back to him and put her right hand in his outstretched left one. "I'm _really_ starting to hate these patriarchal, alien societies," she mumbled quietly.

"Yeah well, they're not exactly at the top on my list either, Carter," Jack replied.

From behind Sam, came the concerned voice of Teal'c. "You have ceased your descent to the mine. Are you experiencing difficulties, O'Neill?"

Jack gave Sam a small smile and squeezed her hand lightly. "No problems, T. Just having a little chat with Carter here. Watch your step, it's kind of unstable. And maybe wait up for Daniel. Don't want to see him tumble over the side and break something…again."

"I will proceed with the utmost caution, O'Neill, and assist Daniel Jackson if necessary," Teal'c replied. "We will reconvene at the bottom."

"Okey dokey," Jack replied, then turned his gaze back to Sam. "Ready Carter?"

"As I'll ever be, Sir," she sighed, feeling the slightest bit of embarrassment that her CO felt the need to hold onto her and help her down the path. She firmly pushed the thought out of her mind that she rather enjoyed feeling the warmth of his hand in hers.

"Hey," he squeezed her hand again, waiting for her to meet his gaze. He knew this was difficult for her and wanted to ease her mind. "I have the utmost faith that you could climb Mount Everest in a bikini if you wanted to, Carter. We're just helping each other out here, OK?" When she reluctantly nodded her agreement, he cocked his head to the side in thought. "Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing that bikini thing, should you want to try it someday," he gave her a sidelong grin.

Sam chuckled at the expression on his face. "In your dreams, Sir."

He grinned back, glad to have made her smile, but not daring to mention that some of his dreams _had_ starred a certainblond major wearing said bikini. Giving one final squeeze to her hand, he turned and began to slowly make his way back down the path. They shuffled along sideways, his grip on her hand tightening whenever either one of them slipped a bit. All in all, it wasn't a bad way to travel, he thought to himself as he chanced a glance at their entwined hands. Not bad at all.

They were almost to the bottom when Sam lost her footing and almost fell to her knees. The only thing keeping her up was Jack's tight grip on her hand. A loud gasp went up from both up above and down below. Sam closed her eyes, willing away the flush of embarrassment that wanted to arise of its own accord, then looked up into the concerned eyes of her CO.

"You all right, Carter?" he asked quietly as he helped her to her feet.

"Just peachy, Sir," she mumbled as she brushed at her dirty pants. Jack bit back a grin at the comment.

"Well, let's take it easy the rest of the way, okay? We don't want you landing on your ass in front of your adoring crowd, now do we?" Jack cant his head to the side, indicating the rather substantial group of miners who were watching the remainder of their climb with rapt attention.

Sam sighed. "Oh great. Just when things couldn't get any worse."

He turned to her with a look of mock horror. "Don't you know you're _never_ supposed to say that? It's almost like asking for the sky to fall in or something."

Sam allowed a small smile to escape as she replied. "Actually, Sir, the sky can't fall, per say. The sky, or inner atmosphere, is made up of various gases, which are lighter…"

Jack held up the hand that wasn't holding hers. "Ack! Carter! You know what I meant! Just…don't invite doom like that." He gave her a glare but his eyes were twinkling. "That's an order."

Sam's smile spread. "Yes Sir."

They continued the last few feet to the base of the ravine. Both the miners at the bottom and the contingent of delegates at the top all let out a sigh of relief and a brief round of applause at their safe arrival. Sam rolled her eyes at the display and snorted under her breath, "Give me a break."

Jack grinned at her and released her hand. "Nice to know how many people care about you, isn't it Carter?"

Sam just shook her head and walked past him, muttering quietly. "Oh yeah. Gives me warm fuzzies, Sir."

Jack chuckled, then watched his 2 IC do what she did so well. She jumped right in and began to explain to the men gathered what needed to be done; and she started doing it. In a few moments, Teal'c and Daniel joined him near the entrance to one of the larger mines, all three of them carefully observing Sam as she discussed her plans with the miners. Jack looked over at Daniel. "Morty OK with things so far? No plans for public pain and humiliation on my part after that little slippage, is there?" The light tone of voice was in direct contrast to the real anxiety clouding his eyes.

Daniel looked at him with a frown that disappeared with dawning understanding. "Uh, no, Jack. _Morren_," he emphasized the name, "Was quite pleased with the proceedings thus far. I'm sure he'll be much happier once Sam is safely back at the top, though."

"As will we all, Danny," Jack replied, gazing once more at Sam, who held the group of miner's in rapt attention.

"It appears that Major Carter has the miners acquiring sustenance from her upturned hand," Teal'c observed quietly.

Daniel cast a baffled expression at the Jaffa. "Huh?"

"I think he means Carter has the miners eating out of the palm of her hand," Jack offered with an amused grin toward Daniel.

"Is that not what I just said, O'Neill?"

Jack chuckled. "Ah, yeah, T. That you did." He watched as the men gathered closer around Sam, listening intently to her every word and nodding in agreement to whatever she had just said. He shook his head in disbelief. "How does she do that? I mean, the big Kahuna up theredidn't even want to let her down here, but now…" he waved his hand at the display in front of them.

Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "She's Sam," he replied, as if that were all the answer that was needed.

In fact, it was, for Jack just nodded his head in agreement. Noticing the group begin to enter the darkened mouth of the mine Jack sighed. "Come on campers, can't let Carter have all the fun now, can we?" And the three of them followed the large group into the deep, dark mine.

Two hours later, Sam was feeling jubilant…for the first time since she had set foot on this planet. The mine was turning out to be the rich source of Naquadah that they were hoping for, the miners were more than accepting of her presence among them, and she finally felt a part of this mission, not in the way she had before. And even though Jack and Teal'c both kept in close contact with her, Sam wasn't too bothered by their protective presence. She knew it was just as much for the mission's sake as for hers, so she put up with one or other them almost constantly at her side.

Although she finally _did_ draw the line at Jack fiddling with her equipment. More than once, she had to take something out of his hands and issue a rather firm, "Please Sir, this equipment is highly sensitive." He'd shrug his shoulders, hand it back, and have something else in his hands within a few moments.

Her commanding officer seemed to be at the last of his patience. For the third time in as many minutes, he called to her, "We almost done here, Carter? We know the naquadah's here, for crying out loud, how many more energy readings do you need to take?"

Sam sighed before answering him. "Just a few more minutes, Sir. I need to establish where the most prolific vein is and also ensure that where we set our explosives and ultimately dig will cause the least amount of damage and ensure the best results."

"Well, let's hurry it up, shall we? As I recall, the days here are quite a bit shorter than on Earth. And I don't think we really want to try climbing that ravine in the dark, do we?" he cocked an eyebrow at her as he said the words. Even in the dark mine, with only the light from the lanterns illuminating his features, Sam could clearly read the message he was trying to convey.

"Uh, no sir," Sam agreed. He wasn't the only one worried about possible recriminations should something happen to her. Sam turned and began to take her final readings as quickly as possible. She took several steps away from the group before she stopped and frowned. The device in her hand began to emit an erratic pulse wave, alerting her to something out of the ordinary.

Sam turned to mention the anomaly to Jack, but found that he had turned his back and appeared to be in deep conversation with Jorahn, the lead miner. Teal'c was currently on the opposite side of the mine, examining something on the ground with Daniel. Sam turned back to the narrow corridor just in front of her. There was something down there that was playing havoc with her electromagnetic device. While she was fairly certain that the most likely source was the Naquadah within the mine, according to her readings, there might be a much larger deposit than they had originally thought. And it was just within reach.

Knowing how much time would be saved later if she could at least determine an approximate source right now, Sam cautiously began to make her way down the narrow corridor in front of her. She was only planning on going a little way in, just scoping things out so to speak, and then she'd head back and getthe others to accompany her.

Sam's attention was riveted to the device in her hand and she narrowed her eyes, trying to make things out in the darkened corridor. Lanterns hanging on the wall dimly lit the way, although they were more sparsely spread out than the ones in the larger cavern had been. Every now and then, one lamp was totally dark, casting areas of the corridor into almost complete blackness.

She had only gone about ten yards down the corridor when the ground under her feet shifted, scattering loose rocks and dirt from under her. Sam felt herself falling, gasped loudly, and reached out with her left hand to stop her fall. She caught the wall of the narrow corridor in the palm of her hand and grasped frantically with her fingers, trying to find a hold somewhere. Her right hand tightly clutched the device, not wanting to lose the expensive piece of equipment, and so was ineffectual in helping her stop the downward momentum she was feeling.

In what was only a matter of seconds, but felt like minutes, Sam's left hand found a protrusion to grasp on to, which she did so with great effort. Her momentum was immediately stopped and she froze, willing herself to breath steadily once more. She had only fallen half a foot, but those few inches of her hand dragging across the rough stone of the cavern had already done their damage.

Sam stood still where she was, fearing that any movement might create a much larger landslide beneath her feet. When several moments passedand nothing else happened, she slowly and carefully pulled her hand away from the wall. She winced as she felt the deep burn of a cut and the wet stickiness of the blood as it slowly dripped from her palm down her fingertips to the loose soil beneath her.

TBC


	4. Damage Control

_Well, this is getting a bit more angsty and serious than I intended! The humor should return withina chapter or two...and of course, it's going to be a bit longer than I originally stated. 7 or 8 chapters maybe instead of the 3 or 4 I was thinking, but not an epic by any means! It all takes place within one day, so how long can I make it right:) Thanks for the feedback, as always!_**

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**Chapter 4 – Damage Control**

Jack looked over to where Carter had last been standing, ready to prod her into finishing up with her readings. To say he was getting impatient would be an understatement. Not only was he tired of hanging out in the dark mine with nothing to do but watch the geek proceedings, he was also getting more than a little annoyed at the questions Jorahn was asking about one Major Samantha Carter. Some rather personal questions, at that.

His eyes narrowed as he took in the empty space not more than five feet away from him; the space Carter had been occupying just moments ago. He pushed himself away from the rocky wall he had been leaning against and perused the interior of the cave, trying to catch sight of the blond head that shouldn't be too far from him. "Dammit," he muttered loudly as he didn't see her anywhere. Just then, he heard a faint gasp come from his left, down a darkened corridor that he could just make out from where he stood.

Casting a quick glance across the cavern, he called, "Teal'c!", before he turned and ran toward the opening of the corridor. All eyes turned to follow him, the concern evident on their faces. Jorahn made to follow the Colonel, but was pushed aside by the large form of Teal'c barreling past.

"Remain here," came the stern command and Jorahn followed it without question, even though the words were directed at Daniel.

Knowing his job was to do damage control, Daniel turned to the concerned miners.  
"I'm sure it's nothing. Major Carter probably just found something down the corridor that caught her attention. They'll be right back," he offered them a reassuring smile, then added, "Please complete your tasks. I'm sure Morren is anxious for us to return to the top and hear what we have discovered."

The miners looked to Jorahn, who considered Daniel for a moment before nodding to them to continue with their own work. Daniel heaved a sigh of relief, then turned and watched the entrance to the corridor, hoping his friends would emerge quickly.

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Sam winced at the pain in her hand, but put it back on the wall in order to steady herself. Very slowly, she began to pull herself backwards, shifting her feet and sliding them back as she did so. Her feet had landed on a ledge just six inches beneath the surface of the ground. And while the ledge felt stable enough, Sam wasn't going to take any chances. She pulled herself back another few inches, then carefully sat on the ground. When she felt no more movement, she cautiously released her grip on the wall and cradled her left hand in her lap, taking a deep, steadying breath as she did so.

Her reprieve didn't last long, for she heard the unmistakable sound of feet running down the corridor and pebbles scattering in their wake. Fearing another collapse of the floor, no matter how minor, she called out, "Stop!"

The feet came to a skidding stop, and Sam winced as she heard the unmistakable sound of one body slamming into another. She knew who the bodies were immediately when she heard Jack cry out, "For crying out loud, Teal'c! Are you trying to kill me?"

"My apologies, O'Neill," came the quick reply and the sound of someone being picked up and the dust slapped off of them.

"Enough already!" came another curt bark before Jack turned and called down the corridor, "Carter? You all right?" He could just make out her form sitting on the ground about ten yards in front of him.

"Yes, sir," she called, turning her head to look back at him. "The ground gave way up here. I'm not sure how stable it is, so you and Teal'c should proceed with caution."

"Are you injured, Major Carter?" came Teal'c's concerned voice.

Sam looked down at her hand and winced at the blood that was still trickling out. The cut was deep, but not life threatening by any means. A few stitches and she'd be as good as new. "Just a scratch, Teal'c. Nothing to worry about."

"Carter," Jack growled out in a warning voice.

"I'll be fine, Sir. Really." Sam put the energy reading device into her front vest pocket, took out a bandana and quickly wrapped it around her left hand, all the while keeping up a conversation with the two men who were now slowly making their way toward her. "The energy readings spiked dramatically when I got near the corridor, Sir. I'm certain that there is an even larger deposit of Naquadah down here than we originally thought."

His voice came from just behind her. "And there must have been some incredibly important reason why you decided to check this out on your own, right Major?"

Sam looked behind her and winced at the look of anger in his eyes. "Uhm, not really Sir. I was intending to find the source if it was close enough to the main chamber. It's just that…well, this happened," she indicated the small depression made by the shifting rock.

"Which is precisely why you never should have entered this corridor on your own. For God's sake, Carter, I thought you were a hell of a lot smarter that this!" Jack growled at her. His relief at her safety made his tone sharper than he intended. He leaned over her and put his hands under her upper left arm while Teal'c did the same to her right. With little effort, they pulled her to her feet and backwards several yards, away from the unstable depression. Sam was startled by the abrupt movement but didn't offer a protest; she knew her CO was angry enough with her already.

When she was on her feet, Jack turned her toward him. He immediately noticed the bandana wrapped around her left hand and gruffly stated, "Let me see your hand."

"It's really nothing, Sir," Sam tried, but all she got for her efforts was a stern and expectant glare. She cast a pleading look Teal'c's way before surrendering her hand for Jack's perusal.

Jack held the bloodied hand in his palm, carefully unwrapping it and examining it in the dim light from the lanterns. "This is going to require stitches, Carter," he informed her grimly. He pulled his canteen from his vest, unscrewed the cap with his teeth, and proceeded to pour some water over the deep cut. Sam hissed as the water stung the cut. Jack spared her a brief glance, then looked back at her hand. "You're probably going to need some of the Doc's strong antibiotics. No telling what the hell is in this dirt." He finished rinsing the cut, then wound his own clean bandana around her hand tightly, wanting to make sure the blood clotted in her palm. While he worked, he mumbled, "Of all the stupid things to do, this ranks right up there, Carter."

Although she knew she never should have left the cavern on her own, no matter the reason, Sam saw red at his words. "As stupid as eating cake offered on an alien planet? As stupid as…"

Jack narrowed his eyes at her. "Watch it, Major. You're about to step over the line." When she clammed her mouth shut, he continued. "In case you forgot, Carter, this injury," he held up her wrapped hand, "Affects not only you, but all of us. God knows what Morty's going to do when he sees you return to the top with your hand all bandaged." His scowl deepened. "He'll probably cut off the proposed alliance and then happily lead me to the nearest tree and string me up."

Feeling well and truly reprimanded, Sam mumbled, "I won't let any of that happen, Sir. I'll tell him I cut my hand at home, then touched a sharp rock here or something." She looked up into Jack's still heated stare and reminded him, "I _do_ know what I'm doing, Sir."

"For God's sake, Carter, that's not the issue here!" Jack fairly shouted.

From down the corridor, they could clearly hear Daniel's voice. "Uh, guys? Everything OK down there? People are starting to get a little…concerned here," he warned.

Teal'c came to stand next to Sam. "I believe it would be in our best interest to return to the main corridor, O'Neill, and save this conversation for another, more appropriate time." He turned to look at Sam. "I deem the miners to be trustworthy, Major Carter, but feel they need have no knowledge of this injury, nor do Morren or his council. Are you able to conceal your hand within the sleeve of your jacket until such a time as we are able to return to the Stargate?"

"I think so." Sam pulled her hand back into her jacket, so that only her fingers were visible. She wiggled them experimentally before adding, "That should work Teal'c, thanks. If you'll collect the instruments I passed out to Jorahn and his men, we should be able to leave without them becoming aware that anything is amiss."

Jack snorted. "The way that guy's been watching you, I doubt it." The words were said with an edge of the irritation Jack was still feeling. Not so much at Carter anymore, but at the whole situation; and at himself for not following her down here. Though to be honest, the fact that she had come down here alone in the first place annoyed the hell out him.

Sam forced herself to ignore his last comment, instead focusing on Teal'c. "Teal'c, can you check one thing for me before we head back?" At his nod, she continued. "I landed on some sort of rock ledge when I slipped. Can you just shine your flashlight down there and tell me what you see?"

Teal'c did as she asked, shining his flashlight down the shallow depression. "There appears to be another stone slab just beneath the one you stood on, Major Carter." He leaned forward carefully and brushed the loose dirt from the small slab. "I am afraid I can not ascertain what is beyond the second slab."

"That's OK, Teal'c. Thanks for checking." Sam stared thoughtfully at the area, wondering what it could be and wishing she could remain here to find out.

As if he could read her thoughts, Jack clasped her upper arm and turned her back the way they had come. "Absolutely not, Carter. You'll have to leave the spelunking to the mining team that General Hammond sends through."

She shot him a look of indignation. "I wasn't going to suggest…"

"Oh yes you were," he interrupted, but this time with a small smile. "And I'm sure this isn't going to be the last I hear of it, either."

Sam huffed but didn't reply, for she knew he was right. If she had anything to say about the matter, she'd be back down here within a few days time. And she _would_ find out what lay beneath those stone slabs.

When they reentered the large cavern, Daniel was waiting for them. His eyes quickly took in Sam's frown and the way she was awkwardly holding her arm. "You OK?" he asked quietly, his eyes raking her from head to toe.

Sam relaxed her features and gave him a small smile. "I'm fine Daniel. I'll explain everything later."

Just then Jorahn rushed to her side. "Major Carter! I have been worried. When I saw you had disappeared into the west corridor and heard loud voices issuing forth, I was concerned for your safety." He gave Jack a rather accusing glare, as his had been the source of the loudest voice. Jack crossed his arms and returned the glare with a steady look of his own.

Sam gave the young man a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Jorahn. Colonel O'Neill was just…displeased with me for entering the corridor alone." She shot her CO a quick glance when she said the words, but he didn't react. He continued to lock gazes with Jorahn.

The young miner was the first to look away and returned his attention to Sam. With a slight tone of consternation, her said, "You should not have attempted to enter the corridor alone, Major Carter. I would have been most happy to accompany you on any further explorations."

No one but Sam heard Jack grumble under his breath, "I'll bet."

Jorahn held out his hands, ready to take her arm. "Please. Come sit and rest. I will bring you some water."

Before he could make physical contact, Teal'c stepped in front of Sam. "We must leave and return to the surface. Morren awaits word of our discoveries. Please assist me in retrieving Major Carter's equipment from your men."

Jorahn between Sam and Teal'c before finally nodding to the large man in agreement. The two men went off and began to collect the equipment. Jack once again clasped Sam's upper arm and began to lead her to the entrance of the mine. Noting the frown that returned to Sam's face and look of focus on Jack's, Daniel followed closely behind. "Uh, Jack? What's going on?"

"Carter decided to play explorer and get herself injured. We need to get her up that damned hill and to the gate without Morty noticing anything," Jack replied tersely but quietly. He didn't want any of the miner's getting wind of what had happened, just in case they felt it their duty to inform their leader.

Sam's frown deepened. "I told you, sir. If he notices, I'll just explain to Morren that my hand slipped on the wall. I'm sure he'll understand."

Jack looked at her. "And take the chance that he squashes this alliance, or that yours truly ends up going home singing soprano? I don't think so, Carter." Sam and Daniel exchanged a look of confusion at his last comment, Daniel shrugging his shoulders in puzzlement.

Jack stopped at the entrance to the mine and dropped Sam's arm, his gaze roaming over the ravine and the climb they would soon take to the top. His eyes narrowed when he spotted the small group gathered at the top. With a serious tone to his voice, he said, "We complete the rest of this mission as quickly as possible, with no mention whatsoever of Carter's injury. We can't take any chances, understood?"

The two scientists shared another look, before voicing their agreement. No matter that all four of them shared a deep friendship based on mutual respect, they both knew not to question him when he was in this type of mood. "Good," Jack replied tightly. Truthfully, he was less worried about himself than Carter. He had a funny feeling that she would bear the brunt of any punishment, not him. And there was no way in hell he'd allow that to happen. Teal'c emerged from the entrance of the mine, two packs hanging from either arm. "Looks like we've got everything. Let's head out," Jack ordered softly.

Teal'c helped Sam with her pack, both of them careful to keep her injured hand hidden within the sleeve of her jacket. The miners came to bid them farewell and thank them for their assistance within the mines. Jorahn stepped close to Sam, wanting to bid her a personal farewell of his own, but was prevented from doing so when Jack once again took her hand in his, threw the man a stern frown, and said, "Come on, Carter. Time to go." It was with a look of great disappointment that Jorahn watched the blond woman leave his domain, and he wondered to himself if he would ever see her again.

The climb back up was accomplished much quicker than the one down, and with almost no words between the team members. Daniel led the way up, with instructions from Jack to do everything he could to keep their departure brief. Teal'c took up the rear, intent on making certain Major Carter did not slip and that Colonel O'Neill remained calm. Jack and Sam were in the middle of the two men, Sam's hand firmly held in his on the way up the ravine.

Both officers were mired in their own thoughts as they slowly but steadily climbed up the steep incline to the top. Jack was determined to keep things short once they reached the crest. He was even more determined to get his 2IC to the gate ASAP. While he knew they would have to fill Morren in on some of the details, he felt a great sense of relief in knowing they could make a rather quick departure. SG-5 would return within a day to finalize negotiations with the Perovians for the right to mine the Naquadah, leaving his team free from that responsibility. With a feeling of resolve, he tightened his grip on Sam's hand and increased their pace.

For her part, Sam was once again feeling a strong sense of frustration and irritation with this mission as a whole. That she alone had to change her clothing, accept the stipulations in going down to the mine, and hide a minor injury for fear that her CO would be punished filled her with a great sense of unfairness. On top of all that, to have Jack so upset and abrupt with her over such a minor injury hurt deeply. She had always taken great pride in the fact that he had constantly shown complete faith in her ability to hold her own, but this situation robbed her of that and it felt like a slap in the face.

When Sam felt him tighten his grip on her hand and increase his pace, a part of her wanted to just pull her hand back, stop where she was, and give him a piece of her mind. Another, smaller part of her, wanted to give in to her frustration and just sit down and cry. The part that Sam allowed to come to the forefront was the military officer that made up such a large portion of her personality. She straightened her shoulders, picked up her feet, and took the longer strides necessary to keep up with her CO. Pushing all thoughts and feelings to the back of her mind, Sam focused her energy on what she needed to do once they reached the top. Whatever happened with Morren, she would not let this alliance fail because of her. Not would she allow Jack O'Neill take any punishment because of her actions.


	5. Confrontation

_Quite a few of you thought Jack was a bit too harsh on Sam in the last chapter. Hopefully you'll think he makes up for it in this one!_**

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**Chapter 5 - Confrontation**

In short order,SG-1 reached the top of the ravine, breathing slightly heavy as they crested the lip at the top. Morren rushed over to them, a smile of relief splitting his face when he saw that Sam had arrived at the top in once piece. Sam pulled her hand from Jack's grasp, resituated the injured hand so only her fingertips were peering out, and offered Morren a smile in return. Before the leader of the Perovians could begin asking questions, Sam spoke first.

"Morren, thank you again for allowing me to go into the mines. Everything went very well. You have an incredibly knowledgeable and cooperative group of miners down there," she told him with all honesty.

Morren bowed to her and replied, "I do hope they did not balk at assisting you, Major Carter. The men are not used to taking directions from a woman in their work."

She gave him a reassuring, if not a bit tight, smile. "No, they were quite accepting of me, actually." She frowned to herself, wondering how that had happened when this society didn't allow men and women to interact in that way in the first place.

"You are a very persuasive woman, Major Carter," he offered sincerely. Sam's lips quirked up slightly at that comment.

Noting the pause in conversation, and the way Morren's eyes were still raking Carter's body as if he were still expecting to find something wrong, Jack threw a meaningful glance at Daniel before he stated with false cheerfulness, "Well, thanks again for everything, Morren. We're very grateful for your help in all this." He waved his hand to indicate the mine. "General Hammond will be sending another team through tomorrow to finalize our agreement after Carter presents her reports."

Rupon, the younger council member who had been quite taken with Sam earlier, protested, "Another team? Does this mean that you will not be returning to our world Major Carter?" his look of disappointment was keen.

"Not right away, Rupon. But perhaps when the mining actually starts," she replied.

"Yes, well, Major Carter is very busy back home. Lots of important stuff to do," Jack stated quickly, not wanting the young man to get any ideas. Then he took a few steps to the side, as if trying to show how important it was that they return to the base now. Sam and Teal'c followed his lead. "Maybe we can all come back and have a little shindig after everyone signs the paper work," Jack added with a crooked grin.

Morren frowned. "What is this shindig you speak of?"

Daniel rolled his eyes at Jack, wondering why the man always had to throw out his absurd comments, then turned to Morren. "What Jack means to say is, perhaps we can celebrate the joining of our cultures with a feast: something to recognize and honor your people for their willingness to share the riches of the Naquadah with us."

"Ah," Morren's face brightened. "That would be most pleasant, Dr. Jackson. We will look forward to this shindig with your people." He turned back to Jack and Sam, moving to close the distance they had just created. "But must you leave so soon? The council was hoping to hear more of your findings, Major Carter, and to offer all of you refreshments after your arduous climb down to the mines. My wife is preparing for this as we speak." Once more, his eyes raked Sam. Surely she at least had to be in need of rest, he thought to himself.

"Sorry, Morren," Jack came and stood close to Sam, his right side slightly in front of her left. He had noticed a thin line of blood running down her fingers and wanted to block any view Morren might have of her hand. "But Carter here needs to get that information back to the base. General's orders and all, you know," he offered with a tight smile. "But thanks for the offer." He grabbed Sam's elbow lightly. When she turned to look at him, he narrowed his eyes just slightly and nodded toward her left hand. Sam was startled to feel the small amount of wetness run down her ring finger and she quickly made a fist with her hand, then calmly smiled at Morren.

"I'm afraid the Colonel is right, Morren. I have strict orders to return as soon as possible and present my findings to the General. But I will definitely put in a request to return for the celebration and perhaps some of the mining operations. I'm looking forward to spending more time learning about your people," and she gave him a dazzling smile, meant to distract him from her hand.

Daniel chimed in. "Yes, Morren. We are all eager to finalize this alliance and learn more about each other. I would personally like to thank you and the council," he nodded his head at the five other men who stood nearby, "For allowing us to come here. And of course, for allowing Major Carter to complete her task quickly and safely. We are all in your debt," he smiled graciously at the group. Seeing the "Hurry up" frown coming from Jack, he added, "We really must leave though. General Hammond will be waiting for us."

Morren nodded in understanding. "You must of course acquiesce to your leader's wishes. I hope we meet again soon," he smiled to each member of the team. Then, surprising all of them, he stepped closer to Sam and regarded her thoughtfully for a moment before taking her two hands in his. Sam's gasp of dismay was quiet, but Jack saw the look of panic on her face and his own gut clenched in trepidation.

Seemingly unaware of their discomfort, Morren held her hands gently in his. "I would like to thank you, Major Carter, for your patience and understanding of our ways. I can see that you are a woman of great strength and independence. Conforming to our ways must have been difficult for you."

Sam offered him a quick, tight smile. "It was not a problem, Morren. Thank you for your patience with us as well."

Morren smiled at her and squeezed her hands slightly. When he saw the wince cross her face, his smile disappeared. He studied her closely, his hands remaining firm on hers even as she tried discretely to pull them away. He felt the presence of something wet and sticky on his fingers and felt a sense of anger and dismay begin to rise deep within him.

Jack, seeing as well as sensing what was happening, tried to end the contact. "Well, thanks again, Morren. We _really_ need to be going."

The calm, slightly balding older man turned a steely glare on Jack. "Silence," he ordered firmly. Turning back to Sam, his gaze locked on hers as he slowly pulled her hands forward and turned them over. When she winced again and dropped her gaze from his, he left his own fall to her hands. Seeing the trickle of blood on her left hand and the bandana tightly wrapped around it, Morren sucked in a deep breath, straightened his shoulders, and turned an accusing glare on Jack.

"Ah crap," Jack mumbled under his breath.

The five council members came closer, forming a semi-circle around the team and peering over Morren's shoulder. Rupon's gasp of dismay seemed to echo through the trees. Teal'c stepped close to Sam's other side, providing a quiet, forbidding presence of his own. Daniel walked right up to Morren. "Look, Morren, there's no need…"

Morren dropped Sam's right hand and held his left toward Daniel. Once again, he repeated "Silence," in a deep, authoritative voice. His eyes never left Jack's. "You have broken your word, Colonel O'Neill. Not only have you neglected your duty to keep Major Carter safe, but you have obviously coerced her to deceive us as well by covering up her injury in this crude fashion," he lifted the injured hand, indicating the bandana with a nod of his head. "For this, you will be sorely punished," he added in a grim tone of voice.

"Look Morty," Jack replied, just as angry as Morren at the moment. He didn't get any further, for Morren held up his hand to stop him.

"Not only will you be punished for breaking your promise, but Major Carter will not be allowed to leave with you." Daniel's eyes widened at that, for he hadn't seen that coming. Neither had Jack or Sam by the looks on their faces and the quick exchange of glances. Teal'c straightened up even more, if that were possible, and mentally readied himself for battle. "If you can not take care of a woman of Major Carter's worth, then you no longer deserve her presence on your team." And then, before any of them could react, Morren pulled Sam toward him and pushed her next to Rupon.

"Hey! Now just wait a minute!" Sam protested, but Rupon held her tightly by her arms and pulled her further from her team, his own men forming a semi-circle around her.

Reactions were swift from the men of SG-1. Jack pulled his P-90 from his chest and pointed it at Morren while Teal'c had a Zat pointed at Rupon in a matter of seconds. Daniel held up his hands and said, "Whoa. Let's just calm down and talk about this."

"Talking stops when someone threatens to remove a member of my team, Danny." Jack's next words were directed at Morren and delivered with a harsh bite. "Now look here, Morren," he stated in a deadly tone. "We tried to do things your way, even going so far as having Carter dress up and beg you to let her into the mines. We escorted her down there when she would have been just fine by herself. Yeah, she got a small injury, but that's nothing compared to some of the other things she's been through. I think you've done her a great disservice, assuming she'd be waylaid by something as small as a cut on her hand." His eyes narrowed even further. "Now, I strongly suggest you let go of her and let us be on our way. If there's a chance in hell you want this alliance to go through, you'll do what I say." Sam stared at Jack, a bit surprised at his rather long speech. That he would stand up for her after he seemed so angry before startled her into momentary silence.

Not in the least intimidated by his words but wanting to avoid bloodshed on either side, Morren took a step closer to Jack. "Perhaps I have acted hastily, Colonel O'Neill. My only wish was to protect Major Carter when you could not. I will relinquish my intent to keep her with us." At his words, Rupon reluctantly let go of Sam's arms. She shook her arms and gave him an angry glare before pushing past the other men and returning to stand next to Jack. Jack gave her a cursory look to make sure she was all right before turning his attention back to Morren. "There is still the matter of your punishment however. You, Colonel O'Neill, failed to uphold your end of our agreement. As such, I expect you to submit to our laws and offer restitution." The statement was made with a quiet determination that Jack would have admired had it not been directed at him.

"Fine," Jack offered curtly after a momentary pause. "Let my team return and do whatever you have to do to me."

"You will not be left behind, O'Neill. I will take your punishment in your stead," Teal'c stated with quiet forcefulness.

Sam had heard enough. The quick turn of events that had startled her into silence now turned into a quiet, controlled fury. "All right. That's enough." She stepped in front of both Jack and Teal'c and faced Morren head on. "There will be no punishment on my account, Morren. Not now, not ever. If you need to punish someone in order to protect the laws that keep your women down, you'll just have to punish me."

"Carter," Jack growled from behind her and tried to pull her back. She just shook off his arm and stepped closer to Morren.

"I know you think your laws are protecting your women, Morren, but they're not. All they do is keep women in a small, controlled place within your society. They don't allow the women and girls the same opportunity to discover new things about themselves that the men and boys have. And they keep half of your population from contributing to the well-being of the entire group."

She unwrapped the bandana and held her injured hand in front of him. "Yes Morren, I cut my hand in the mines. I did it when I went down a little used corridor. _By myself_. And while Colonel O'Neill wasn't happy with my choice, I did have the right to make it. He wasn't angry because I got hurt, but because I wasn't following protocol. And even though I may have gotten injured, I found something down there that may allow us to mine the Naquadah without doing too much damage to the mountain." She dropped her hand and her voice. "Don't you see, Morren? In being allowed to do what I am good at, even make a mistake in the process, I discovered something that could benefit both of us. I don't think that is something I, or anyone, should be punished for."

Morren had listened to her speech without interruption. He quietly considered her words before replying, "Perhaps you are right, Major Carter. Perhaps our laws do keep our women from that which may enhance all our lives." He shook his head. "But we do revere our women, Major Carter, and do not wish to see any harm befall them, no matter how minor," he took her hand in his and held it gently as he looked at the cut.

Jack and Teal'c tensed next to her, neither man willing to allow this man to pull her away again. But Morren had no intention to do that. He just held her hand, palm up, and appeared deep in thought.

Sam sighed quietly, then said, "Morren? Do you and Tylez have children?"

His head popped up at this question and he frowned in confusion. "Yes. We have two. A boy and a girl."

Sam nodded her head. "And were you present for their births?"

The man's face broke into a small smile as he recalled those two important events in his life. "Yes, I was. They were the happiest days of my life, watching my children come forth into the world."

Daniel saw were Sam as going and nodded at her in encouragement, a small smile on his lips at her ingenuity.

"Please excuse me for getting personal, Morren, but how did your wife react during the birthing process?" At his look of confusion, Sam continued. "Was she quiet and calm throughout the birth? Free from pain?"

Morren frowned at her words and looked away, thinking about his wife in labor. How she had labored in pain, crying out loudly, for over fifteen hours with their first child and twelve with the second. How he had almost lost her that second time; the birth had been complicated and his wife lost so much blood that he feared she would die. "No," he replied quietly. "The births were difficult. My wife was in much pain."

Sam put her right hand over the hand that held her left one. Softly, she said, "And you couldn't do anything about it, could you? You can't protect your women from the pain of childbirth, just as you shouldn't try and protect them from the pain of normal, everyday life and the chance to make their own mistakes and learn from them." She squeezed his hand, then released it. "I've never had children, Morren, but I know from talking to other women that giving birth is one of the most painful things a woman could go through. Much more painful than a small scratch from a rock, and with quite a wonderful reward at the end," she added with a gentle smile. "I admire Tylez, going through that twice. I think your wife is much stronger than I am."

"Carter's right, you know," Jack said into the silence that followed her words. "If men had to give birth, entire races would have died out long ago." Sam bit back a smile at his words, knowing in her heart that his words were meant as an affirmation of her actions.

Morren ignored Jack's words, instead he looked deeply into Sam's eyes and saw the truth of her words. Women were indeed, much stronger and resilient than the men of his village gave them credit for. As leader of the Perovian people, it was high time he did something about that.

Finally, Morren smiled. "You are indeed a most intelligent woman, Major Carter. Strong, resourceful and determined. I admire those qualities, in either sex." He pulled her injured hand to his lips, turned it, and gently kissed the back of her hand. "Please accept my apologies for my earlier words and actions. Please know that, because of your eloquent words, we will be making changes here on Perovia." Sam smiled back at him, ducking her head slightly at his words of praise. "We would be most pleased if you would allow us to escort you to the gate," Morren continued.

"Ah, there's still that one thing we need to deal with," Jack answered, waving his hand in the air. He didn't really want to bring up the subject of punishment again, but he certainly didn't want any more surprises. He really _hated_ surprises and had had more than enough of them on this trip.

"There will be no punishment," Morren looked over at Jack. "For either one of you."

Jack gave a silent sigh of relief, even as he marveled how, once again, Samantha Carter had saved his ass…and perhaps other, even more important parts! "Well, glad that little misunderstanding has been all cleared up. As for the escort, maybe next time. We really need to return." He put his hand gently on Sam's arm. "Come on Carter. Let's get back and get that hand taken care of." He gave her a small grin. "You've got lots of reports to write up – good thing you didn't injure your right hand."

She smiled back. "I'll be inputting data on the keyboard, Sir. It doesn't really matter which hand was injured."

"Ah yeah, right," Jack replied, as if he hadn't thought of that.

The five council members flanked the team and said their good-byes, assuring them that they would welcome the next team warmly…including any women who might be among them.

Then Morren stepped forward for the final time. "I do hope that you will return one day soon, Major Carter. We would very much like the chance to work with you again," he told her with honesty.

Sam smiled. "I'd like that very much, Morren. I'd especially enjoy getting the chance to speak with you wife. She must be a fascinating woman."

"She is indeed," he admitted with a smile of pride. Then he turned to Jack. "Again, my apologies for the harshness of my words and actions. I must admit I am humbled by your sense of honor. You were willing to accept a punishment in order to ensure that your team returned home safely, even though you disagreed with me. You are truly a noble leader for your people."

Jack shrugged away the praise. "I told you, I take care of my team."

Morren nodded. "Yes, you did Colonel O'Neill. I can see that you are a man of your word." Then Morren turned and wished both Daniel and Teal'c a safe journey and bid them a warm welcome when they returned again to his world.

SG-1 began the short trek back to the Stargate. Daniel and Sam led the way, heads close together and talking quietly about all that had occurred on the mission. Daniel offered his friend a heart-felt apology for all she had endured on the planet, putting his arm around her at one point and giving her shoulders a comforting squeeze. Jack and Teal'c, who were bringing up the rear, didn't miss the display of caring and support.

Teal'c glanced over at Jack, who had a frown on his face. "Major Carter has had a most challenging day, O'Neill. I believe a show of support from her team mates will go far in restoring her 'mojo'." He gave Jack another sidelong glance, a hint of a smile creasing his face.

Jack looked up at his large friend, eyes widened in surprise at his words. Then he slowly began to smile. "Yeah T. You're right…as usual." The two men walked the remainder of the way in silence, each content to listen to the chatter of their two team mates.

When they finally arrived at the gate, Daniel stepped forward to enter in the address that would take them home. Teal'c moved past Sam and stood at Daniel's side, waiting patiently for Daniel Jackson to complete his task.

The gate whooshed to life and Daniel sent through their codes. When he was given the all clear, he gave Jack an expectant look. Jack waved at him to go through. Daniel threw Sam a reassuring smile and then walked up the stone steps with Teal'c and through the Stargate.

Jack and Sam stood quietly for a moment before Sam moved to walked up the steps. Jack stopped her progress with a hand to her arm. When she turned to look at him questioningly, he had an unusual look of gravity on his face. "I know this wasn't easy for you, Carter. You had to put up with a lot of crap that you shouldn't have had to…from me as well as Morty." He looked down for a moment and frowned slightly at his own words. Looking back at her, he gave her a small smile and added, "You did good back there, Carter. Real good."

Sam considered his words for a moment. He had taken her by surprise because he rarely apologized for his actions in the field. And she didn't think he should have to…she _had_ screwed up down in the mine. But she was grateful all the same. Jack was relieved when she finally smiled back at him. "Thank you, Sir. Now, can we please go home? My hand is throbbing here." She held out her left hand and clutched it dramatically.

Jack's grin widened. "By all means, Major." He thrust his left arm out toward her, crooked at the elbow. "May I?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

Sam smiled widely. "By all means, Colonel." Then she placed her right hand in the crook of his arm and the two of them walked through the gate. Maybe, just maybe, her day was going to end on a good note, Sam thought to herself as she traveled through the gate with her CO.

Had she voiced her thought out loud, Jack might have told her not to count her chickens before they were hatched…or not to put the cart before the horse. Or perhaps any other cliché that might have fit the situation. It was only 1700 hours, after all. Plenty of time left in the day.


	6. Little Miss Muffet

_Had she voiced her thought out loud, Jack might have told her not to count her chickens before they were hatched. Or not to put the cart before the horse. Or perhaps any other cliché that might have fit the situation. It was only 1700 hours, after all. Plenty of time left in the day._

**Chapter 6 - Little Miss Muffet**

Sam frowned darkly as she watched the male members of her team exit the infirmary. Due to the depth of her cut and the unknown bacteria that could be lurking in the dirt on Perovia, Janet had wanted to make sure the wound was well cleaned before she stitched Sam up. She would also need a thorough round of antibiotics, resulting in at least twice the number of shots the rest of SG-1 had to suffer through. Sam's glare darkened when she heard her CO call out quite merrily, "Don't poke too many holes in her Doc. She's gots lots of reports to write!"

Janet, noticing the look on Sam's face, called out, "Maybe you'd better come back, Colonel. You did clean Sam's wound; no telling if you have any unseen germs yourself."

Both women grinned when they heard a tray crash to the floor, an obvious victim to Jack's hasty departure. "I think that was the highlight of my day so far," Sam remarked with a smile toward her friend.

Janet grinned back wryly. "Glad to be of service, Major. Maybe you can stick around to help me clean up? He is _your_ CO after all."

"Oh no. I do enough of that already…in the field, in my lab, his kitchen after a cook-out..." The two women shared a laugh before Janet returned her attention to Sam's injury.

In short order, Sam had been cleared to leave the infirmary. She headed to the women's locker room and took a quick shower before heading up to their post-mission briefing. As she took her seat next to Teal'c, she was delighted to see a full, steaming mug of coffee waiting for her. She looked around at her team mates, wondering which one of them had been so gracious, when she caught Jack's eyes on her, a small smile on his face. Lifting his own mug, he offered her a silent salute. Sam reciprocated the gesture, then took a deep sip and closed her eyes blissfully and hoped the caffeine would get her through the rest of her day.

The briefing was, well…brief. General Hammond was most concerned with getting their written reports and sending in the mining teams as soon as possible. He listened with concern and interest to what had happened on their mission, taking a few notes of his own that he could share with the President. He was relieved that he could be using that red phone to inform the leader of his country about some _good_ news for a change. Finally, he stood from his seat, reminding them all that he expected written reports before they left for the day. Jack opened his mouth to protest but was silenced by a look from the General. Turning to Sam, he said. "I would like to offer my thanks for a job well done, Major Carter. I know it must have been a difficult situation, but you handled yourself with utmost professionalism, just as I knew you would," he smiled at her.

Sam flushed slightly and thanked him for his words. As the General turned to go, he noticed someone lurking in the open doorway to the briefing room. His smile disappeared to be replaced by a mild frown. Turning back to Sam, he said apologetically, "I almost forgot. Dr. Felger," he waved the man in with one hand, "Came to me with some concerns about your lab?"

Everyone turned to look at Felger expectantly. The man flushed at the sudden attention before stepping forward. "Um, yes…there's a bit of a problem. I…well, Koombs and I actually…well, we were going to finish up that analysis like you asked, Major. You know we would do anything to help you out. Your schedule is so busy…"

"Just get on with it, Felger," Jack snapped, his patience for the man at an ever present low.

"Oh, yes Sir, Colonel O'Neill. Well, we needed some data in order to complete our analysis, so we went to your lab to see if we could locate the disk." He smiled adoringly at her. "You keep such a tidy lab, Major Carter. I knew I could find it without disturbing your other projects. I would _never_ want to cause you to lose your trust in me by disturbing something in your lab." His puppy dog eyes never left her face. Jack rolled his own at the display but refrained from commenting this time.

As Felger stared at her quietly with a stupid grin on his face, Sam closed her eyes in frustration before she verbally nudged him. "OK. You needed a disk…_and_?" she prompted.

Felger mentally shook himself. "Oh yes. Well, we couldn't gain access to your lab, Major Carter. Both Koombs and I tried several times, but the lock wouldn't release."

"Uh, that's probably because she locked you out last week," Daniel offered from the other side of the table. "Something about frying a hard drive…or two?" his eyebrow rose in question.

"But that was purely an accident!" Felger protested, his gaze darting between Daniel and Sam. "You know I never meant to destroy it, Major Carter, I just got…well, slightly distracted." He didn't dare mention that he had been distracted by the sight of Major Samantha Carter bent low over her work table, nicely rounded bottom on full display before him. Even he knew that the three large men on her team wouldn't take kindly to that idea, not to mention the Major herself.

Trying to get her fellow scientist back on track, Sam put a restraining hand on Felger's arm. "Why don't you come down to my lab now, Jay. I'll get you that disk you need to finish up your analysis."

Jay was momentarily sidetracked by the touch of her hand on his arm. But then he thought about what his mission had to be right now and pulled away from her, causing Sam's brow to crease in puzzlement. "But there's more, Major Carter! When we couldn't gain access to your lab, Koombs and I asked Major Browne of the security team to override your code. He tried for almost an hour, but couldn't gain access!" His voice had risen to a fevered whine. Now Sam's frown deepened. While she didn't like the idea of people going into her lab, she knew that it was merely a safety protocol for the security personnel to be able to do so. Browne should have had no problem overriding her code.

"And not only that, the cameras don't appear to be working in your lab either."

Jack turned to look at General Hammond. "That's rather unusual, isn't it?"

The General frowned as he looked at Felger. "I wasn't made aware that the security cameras weren't working in Major Carter's lab. That should have been brought to my attention immediately."

Felger gulped in the face of the General's displeasure. "Well, they're not _not_ working per say, General." At the deepening of the General's frown, he hastened to add, "But they're producing a white, fuzzy image. We can make out vague forms in Major Carter's lab, but not anything definite."

Hammond turned his attention back to Sam. "Major, were you conducting an experiment that I was not apprised of? I believe we had discussed this very issue just last week," he frowned in annoyance.

Sam flushed at the reminder, quickly glancing at her team mates who looked at each in confusion. None of them had been told of the rather unfortunate outcome of an experiment she conducted last week and she had been hoping to keep it that way. "Uhm, no Sir," Sam replied quickly, hoping to dispel some of the General's disapproval. "I shut everything down before we left on our mission, Sir."

Hammond nodded his head. "Be that as it may, there appears to be something occurring in your lab that requires investigation Major. Colonel," he turned to Jack. "I want you to take your team to level 19. I'll have the area cleared." He turned back to Sam. "Will you be able to gain access to your lab, Major?"

"Yes Sir," Sam nodded. "Even if my code is no longer working, I can easily activate it by removing the panel and making some quick adjustments."

"Do it," Hammond ordered quickly.

"Uhm sir? If I may?" Felger held up a hand. "I would like to accompany SG-1 to Major Carter's lab. Major Carter may require my assistance with the door and whatever we find in the lab."

Hammond glanced at Sam, who shrugged her shoulders. She doubted she'd need Jay Felger's assistance on anything, but one never knew.

"All right, Doctor Felger. You'll accompany SG-1. But keep in mind, you are to follow Colonel O'Neill's orders to the letter." General Hammond kept his eyes firmly fixed on Felger until he replied, "Yes General. Of course!"

Jack rolled his eyes and muttered, "Oh great!"

"I believe we should procure weapons, O'Neill," Teal'c stated, drawing everyone's attention to himself. "We do not know what might await us in Major Carter's lab."

"Right T. Zats for everyone. Except you," Jack pointed at Felger. "You stay back and out of the way, got it?"

"Yes sir, Colonel O'Neill," Jay replied eagerly, even going so far as to throw the man a salute. Excitement shined in his eyes as he thought about embarking on yet another adventure with SG-1. Jack rolled his eyes once again.

"I'll have SG-3 standing by in case you need them, Colonel. Let me know immediately when the lab has been secured," Hammond ordered.

"Yes, Sir," Jack replied. "All right team, let's move out." Jack led the way out of the briefing room and down toward the armory.

Fifteen minutes later, Sam was on her knees in front of her lab door, panel opened before her and wires hanging out. Unable to use her card to access her lab, Sam was attempting to reroute the signature code to open the door. "You almost there, Carter?" Jack asked from behind her.

"Just about, Sir. Just one more connection…" As she made the last connection, she could hear the door unlock from within. She looked up and gave him a smile. "Got it!"

Jack smiled back. "Moving up in the lock picking department, aren't ya Carter."

"Yes, Sir," Sam replied as she got to her feet. Then she frowned as she looked at the door. It had unlocked but hadn't slid open like it should have. Turning to Teal'c, she said, "Teal'c, can you give me a hand?" Nodding, the large man stepped forward. "We'll have to slide the door open manually, Sir."

Jack nodded in agreement. "Ok kids. I want everyone ready." Jack activated his Zat and waited until Sam and Daniel had done the same before nodding toward Teal'c. "On three. Three, two, one." Teal'c put his hands on the door and leaned into it, pushing the large metal door slowly and firmly to the left. When it was opened, he took his own Zat in hand and pointed it in readiness at the open doorway.

The room was dark and quiet, a forbidding sense of eeriness wafting outwards and encompassing the five people who stood in the hallway. Sam moved to Teal'c's right side and slowly slid her hand along the inside wall, trying to locate the light switch. When she did, she took a deep breath, nodded at Jack, who stood right beside her, then threw the switch. What she saw made her gasp out loud.

"Holy Hannah!" came the awed whisper. Sam stood next to Jack, her eyes wide as she took in the transformation of her lab. All of her electrical equipment was covered by what appeared to be a thick, sticky web. The security cameras mounted on the walls were barely discernable white lumps, the red lights on top glowing faintly through the haze of the webbing surrounding it. Sam's eyes swung over to her desk, where her computer, monitor and all, were completely blanketed by the same dense webbing.

"What the hell is that stuff?" came Daniel's totally awestruck voice.

"I am unsure, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c replied, peering over the top of Sam's head. "It appears to be webbing made by an unknown creature. I suggest we proceed with caution."

The four team members stepped forward slowly until all of them were just inside the door to Sam's lab. Zats held at the ready, they let their eyes peruse the interior, amazement overcoming their initial feelings of shock. The overhead lights gave off a dim glow, their brightness also dimmed from the thick webbing coating the fixtures. Jay Felger stood just outside the open door, his mouth wide open in shock and amazement.

Jack too took in the state of Carter's lab. His brain couldn't quite register what he was seeing. His gaze swung left to right, up and down, before he muttered the first thing that came to mind. "Geez Carter. Dust much?"

Sam threw him an irritated glare before taking a step to away from him and more fully into the room. Her progress was stopped by a tight grip to her arm. "Uh Carter. I may not be an expert on insects here, but whatever made this stuff," his hand holding the Zat indicated the mass of webbing around him, "Is probably kind of big. And still here." He narrowed his eyes and looked into the darkened corners of the room that the light didn't quite reach.

"I believe this creature is in the arachnid family, O'Neill. Not insect," Teal'c informed Jack from his other side.

"Insect, arachnid, who the hell cares? Anything with more than four legs is something I'd rather not have to deal with," Jack replied curtly. His eyes continued to scan the room, searching for whatever had made this stuff.

A rather amused snort issued forth from Daniel. "What's the matter, Jack? Got a case of arachnophobia?"

"I am not afraid of spiders, Daniel," Jack stated in a defensive tone. "I just prefer not to have to _deal_ with them, that's all."

"Well, I _am_ going to deal with it," Sam stated firmly. "Look at what's it's done to my lab!" The arm not holding the Zat waved in dismay at the mess her lab had become. "It's going to take me days to clean this up, not to mention trying to retrieve all my lost data!"

Just then they heard a scuttling sound coming from the far corner of her lab. Jack put his arm out, stopping Sam from going any further. His voice dropped to a whisper. "I think we need to focus on catching this thing before you start worrying about clean-up detail, Carter."

"I concur, O'Neill. This creature could be extremely dangerous. We must neutralize it before we proceed with putting Major Carter's lab to rights." Teal'c stepped around Jack, his tracker's instincts taking over as he listened to the soft sounds the intruder was making at the back of the lab.

"Please don't kill it," Felger pleaded from the open doorway. "This could be an amazing opportunity for research. The implications from this find could be incredible!"

Jack spun toward the door. "I thought I told you to stay in the hallway Felger! Now get back out and stay there!" he snapped.

Felger blanched at the harsh tone and withdrew from the door, but not far enough that he couldn't see what was happening. "All right. Spread out and walk _slowly_ toward the far corner," Jack ordered, emphasizing the word slowly while looking directly at Sam. The team proceeded as ordered, fanning out and moving slowly but surely toward the back of Sam's lab. Jack and Sam were on the left, Teal'c and Daniel on the right; all with weapons raised and at the ready.

When they were halfway across the floor, Teal'c held up one fist in a signal to stop. All four of them stopped walking and waited for an explanation. "I no longer hear the creature's movements," Teal'c whispered, frowning in concentration. Jack looked uneasily to the corners of the room.

Suddenly, from directly above Sam, a humongous spider the size of a cantaloupe dropped down on a thick, silken thread. Its head was the size of a baseball and Sam could distinctly see the fine hairs that covered it. They looked at each other for a split second before the spider opened its mouth, showing pointy fangs the likes of which Sam had never seen before. Sam screamed in surprise at the same time that Jack saw it and cried out, "Holy Shit!" Teal'c spun on his heel and with quick, careful aim, shot the spider, which dropped to the ground with a thud. Its eight legs twitched spasmodically in the air for several seconds before finally remaining still.

Jack heaved out a sigh of relief as he suppressed the urge to shudder. Staring down at the incredibly large spider now lying inert on the ground, he said, "Thanks T. Thought we were about to become another fixture in Carter's lab." He then looked over toward Sam, who seemed unusually pale to him. "You OK, Carter?"

Sam couldn't take her eyes off of the huge spider lying on the floor of her lab. Her mind was awash with questions as to where it came from and what it had been doing. She finally looked up when Jack shook her shoulder and repeated, "Carter?"

"What? Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit…" She looked down again. "What the hell _is_ that thing?"

"Well, it's not your average garden variety spider, that's for sure," Jack said, wrinkling his nose as he prodded the large, hairy creature with the toe of his right boot.

"More importantly, where did it come from?" Daniel asked as he scrunched down on his haunches and peered closer at the spider.

"I believe a more vital question to be, are there any more such creatures still lurking within Major Carter's lab," Teal'c stated without emotion. All three of them turned horrified eyes to him as they took in the implication of his words.

Jack finally turned his gaze back to Sam. "I suppose now would not be a good time to ask if you have a bowl of curds and whey stashed in here somewhere, would it Carter?"

TBC


	7. Along Came A Spider

**Chapter 7 – Along Came a Spider**

"What the hell is that?"

Jack turned toward the sound of the voice coming from the open doorway to Sam's lab. "Ferritti. About time you guys showed up." Quirking his lips into a grin, he took in the look of repulsion on the other man's face. "What's the matter? Never seen a spider before?"

"Not one the size of a soccer ball," came the stunned reply.

Jack looked back down at the specimen in question. "Yeah. That does throw one off a bit, doesn't it?"

"Is it dead?" asked Major Collins, his P-90 steadily aimed at the still form on the ground.

Turning once more to face Ferretti and his team, Jack became serious. "Just stunned. And we're not sure if this is the only one, so here's the plan. You two," he pointed to Collins and Captain Lindley, "Are going to guard the door. Nothing comes in or out." Jack looked pointedly back at Felger, who retreated a step. "The rest of us fan out and cover the room top to bottom. You see anything with eight legs, shoot it."

"Uh Jack?" Ferritti asked with a questioning brow raised. "Any reason we don't just lock the door?"

Jack turned to Carter, waving her on to give the explanation. "The…spider," she said with a grimace, "Appears to have been feeding off of any electrical current it could find. As such, it's disabled the opening mechanism of the door. If we close it, it might take a while to get it open again."

"And we don't really wanted to be locked in if there are anymore of those things in here and we can't annihilate them," Jack added with a nod toward the still creature on the floor.

"Gotcha," Ferritti agreed before turning to his men. "You heard the Colonel's orders. Let's get moving."

"Felger!" Jack yelled to the man who still stood in the hallway. "Call up to General Hammond and let him know what's going on. And request a hazmat team." Jack looked back at the mess that was Carter's lab. "We're going to need one."

Felger stood tall and alert, eager to be of assistance. "Yes, Sir, Colonel O'Neill! I'm on it!" He threw the man a salute before he turned and practically ran to the nearest telephone.

Ferritti cocked his head at the departing scientist. "He always that eager?"

Jack shook his head and rolled his eyes. "You have no idea."

The four members of SG-1 and two from SG-3 fanned out and began to slowly make their way through Sam's lab. They were careful not to disturb the webbing, fearful of any unknown chemicals that could be released into the air, not to mention the possibility of having another giant spider land on their heads.

Sam was searching behind her desk, dismay written all over her face at the state it was in, when Daniel called quietly to her from the area by her work bench. "I think I know where the spider came from, Sam." Sam looked up quickly at his words, her eyes lighting on the device on the table that Daniel was studying. As he went to touch the rectangular box, both Sam and Jack shouted out, "Don't touch it!" Daniel looked up sharply and pulled his hand back, a frown of annoyance crossing his face. "I wasn't going to touch it. I was just going to…examine it a bit closer. Without touching," he added when Jack frowned fiercely at him.

Sam made her way to his side and stood looking down at the innocuous appearing box. The top of the box, which Sam had spent countless hours trying to open to no avail, was now gaping wide. A faint, greenish light was glowing from the back, where one of Sam's tools lay cock-eyed against an exposed crystal. Quickly deducting what had happened, Sam pulled her large table top magnifying glass close to her and bent over it, peering at the back of the box. "Wow. This is amazing! I've never seen a crystal so small before. I wonder what kind of energy output it generates," she talked quietly to herself, forgetting for a moment Daniel's close presence. Jack rolled his eyes at Ferritti, who had been staring at Sam, amazed at how quickly she had transformed from Soldier Sam to Scientist Sam.

"Is this the box you were studying when I came in last night, Sam?" Daniel asked as he leaned over her shoulder to get a closer look.

Sam startled a bit at the closeness before answering. "Oh. Yeah. The one from P5X-996," she replied absently. "This has to be what triggered the box to open," she pointed to the tool that lay against the back of the box – an electronic digital caliper that she had designed herself. "It must have rolled when I left the lab and nudged the back of the box. It was purely accidental," she mumbled to herself, shaking her head in disbelief as she continued to examine the box.

"That's all well and good, Carter," Jack replied from the other side of the table. "But how in the hell did a spider _that_ big," he pointed to the floor behind him, "Come out of a box _that_ small? And more importantly, are there any more where it came from?"

"I don't know, Sir," Sam replied, answering both questions at once. Taking the magnifying glass, Sam adjusted it so that it was looking directly into the dark, open box. Jack gave a cursory look around the lab before he stepped closer to the bench, his Zat at the ready should anything pop out at his 2IC.

Sam leaned closer and peered through the glass at the interior of the box. She frowned as she tried to make out the indistinct object in the far corner of it. The lights in the lab weren't bright enough for her to make out the vague object. "Daniel, hand me a flashlight, will you?"

"Uh, is that such a good idea, Carter?" Jack asked with wary trepidation. He had visions of another spider leaping out upon being faced with the bright beam of the flashlight.

Sam looked up, sparing him a cursory glance. "I need to see if this is where it came from, Colonel; and if there's anything else in here." She gave Daniel a small smile of thanks as he handed her a flashlight, then Sam turned it on and peered closer. Her eyes widened at what she discovered inside the alien device and Jack stepped even closer in response. "Well, it looks like the spider definitely came from in here. There's an egg sac in the corner." Daniel peered closer, nodding in agreement as he took in the fist sized bundle of webbing stuck in the corner of the box.

"Uh, I'm no expert on Spiders," Ferritti claimed from a corner of the room, "But don't spiders lay like, hundreds of eggs in an egg sac?"

Sam and Daniel looked at each other, then over toward Ferritti before they looked once more into the open box. Jack shuddered and mumbled, "Great, just what we need. Another bug infestation."

"Uh, Sam? Is that something moving in there?" Daniel pointed to a dark spot on the outer edge of the egg sac. It was no larger than a dime, but both Sam and Daniel could see that it definitely was a spider.

"Oh boy," Sam stated as she stepped back. Jack trained his Zat on the open box and walked around the table so that he was standing on the same side as Sam and Daniel. He waited with bated breath for another spider to appear. Teal'c stopped his search of the far corner of the lab to come and stand with his team. "Wait, Sir," Sam called out, holding up her hand for him to freeze. He raised an eyebrow at her but waited. "If we can catch it without stunning it, we might be able to study it to see how it they grow so fast. I think it has something to do with feeding off the electrical energy, based on where it's left webs." She cocked her head to the side. "I'm not sure if a spider this small could survive being stunned by a Zat. This could be really important, Sir," she implored when he shot her a look of doubt.

Jack sighed, but didn't lower his weapon. "And what do you propose we catch it with, Carter? You happen to have a butterfly net lying around somewhere?"

Sam looked around for something suitable. Spying a small can of coffee on the shelf behind her, she quickly snatched it up and dumped the remaining coffee into the garbage can, ignoring Daniel's sound of protest at her actions. She returned to the table, where not only Jack but Teal'c as well stood watching the proceedings closely. Ferritti and Johnson continued their perusal of the lab, one eye warily returning to the long table every few seconds. Although there had been no other signs of large spiders in the lab, the thought of hundreds of them in the egg sac caused all the men to stay alert with weapons at the ready.

Sam held up the can and, with a grin at Jack, turned her attention back to the box. Looking at Daniel, she gave him directions, "Ok Daniel. Very carefully, I want you to move the caliper away from the back of the device. That's it," she affirmed when he did so very slowly and carefully. Keeping her eye on the small spider within, she lowered her voice. "Now, gently grasp the end and start to lift the box up. We'll try and tip it into the can."

"And then what?" Jack asked from next to her other shoulder, where he had moved once Daniel touched the box. "See if it likes coffee as much as Daniel?" Even though the voice was full of sarcasm, Jack kept it just above a whisper.

"Not quite, Sir," Sam gave a brief smile but didn't turn her concentration from the operation going on in front of her. "We bring it up to Dr. Jordan's lab and let the people who are experts in entomology have a look at it. Placing it in a more secure container, of course," she added with a wry grin.

Jack gave her a curious look. "Isn't entomology the study of insects? As Teal'c clearly stated Carter, spiders are not insects."

Sam's head swung up to look at him in surprise. She frowned for a moment before stating, "Be that as it may, I'm sure they know more about spiders than I do, Sir." Jack shrugged his shoulders absently. He really didn't think anyone knew more than Carter about anything, but he let Sam return to her task without voicing the thought.

Tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth, Sam held the empty can to the corner of the device, then gave Daniel a nod. As Daniel lifted and tipped the box slightly, Sam reached in with the intent of very gently ushering the egg sac, spider and all, into the can and securing it with the lid.

Well, as Jack so often reminded her, the road to hell was paved with good intentions. The tiny spider, not realizing that the human woman before him was merely trying to remove him from one container to another, reacted instinctively. Feeling the abrupt movement under his eight legs, he ran. Unfortunately for Sam, he ran right up the hand that was providing a handy ramp. Up the long, slender fingers to the white gauze covering her left hand and then, following a loud cry the likes of which the small creature had never heard before, it tucked itself under the green khaki of a long sleeved shirt and scuttled it's way up an arm covered in soft blond hairs.

The minute the spider began its trek up her hand, Sam had let out a startled squeak and draw her hand back quickly. Unfortunately, this had only proved in scaring the spider even more. And when it made its way up to her hand, Sam's second screech was much louder than the first. Ever mindful of the 7 men in the room with her, Sam really didn't want to put on a display of hysterical arachnophobia, for truly, she was not afraid of bugs or spiders. But when that alien, potentially dangerous spider began to crawl up her arm, she really didn't give a damn what they might think of her; she just acted on instinct.

Sam backed away from the table and started to frantically try and shrug herself out of her jacket, her voice rising in panic as she was unable to do so. "Oh my God, get it off me! It's crawling up my arm! Someone get it off!" Daniel and Jack were by her side in an instant. Daniel's eyes were full of concern as he grabbed the sleeve of her jacket and tried to pull it down.

"It's all right, Sam. We'll get it," he tried to reassure her. But Sam wasn't cooperating all that well. She continued to flail her arms around, her skin crawling with every movement the spider made in its progress up her arm.

Jack had been startled by Sam's first screech and deeply unsettled by the second. He couldn't ever recall hearing or seeing his 2IC act like this in his life. Seeing Daniel's helpless attempts to help, he stepped to her other side and grabbed hold of her left arm by her shoulder, stilling her movement. "Settle down, Carter! We can't help you with all your moving around." He stepped behind her and put both hands on her shoulders. "Daniel, you pull Carter's sleeve down while I take her jacket off from here. T, get that coffee can ready." Teal'c did as instructed, grabbing the can with one hand while he kept his Zat ready with the other. Jack nodded at Daniel and together, they began to help Sam get out of her jacket. Ferritti and Johnson stood by, ready to help when needed.

The jacket had only been slipped halfway down Sam's arms when she cried out, "Oh God!" Jack and Daniel froze; Sam's jacket held tightly between the two men as a look of dread passed over their faces.

Senses on high alert, Jack replied sharply, "What is it, Carter?"

"It…it went under the sleeve of my t-shirt, Sir." She moaned helplessly and leaned back against him. "I think it just went down my bra," she finished in a whisper of panic and embarrassment.

Jack's eyes widened and he looked in turn to Daniel, then Teal'c. Both men shook their heads at him and Daniel even took a step back, dropping his end of Sam's jacket. There was no way either man was going to attempt removal of the spider now. Jack turned to look back at Ferritti, who was wearing such a look of disbelief that, in normal circumstances, would have had Jack laughing out loud. When he caught Jack's gaze, Ferritti held up his hands and said, "No way, O'Neill."

He turned back to Daniel and frowned. "Call Janet. Get her down here immediately," Jack ordered as his hands too let go of Sam's jacket and moved to her cup her shoulders. Daniel turned and did as Jack commanded, racing from the room to find a phone not covered in spider webs. Jack squeezed Sam's shoulders firmly and looked down at the top of her head. Taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart, he said, "Carter, can you…reach in and… grab it?" His face flushed as he said the words, his mind automatically conjuring up images of what might lie beneath her t-shirt…aside from the spider, that is.

Sam's eyes were squeezed shut against the sensations of the spider moving against her chest. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her own speeding heart. She felt a bit more composed with Jack standing behind her and allowing her to lean against him, but now was not the time to give that too much thought. "I think so, Sir," she replied, her voice a breathless whisper.

Jack squeezed her shoulders again in support, then stated quietly, "OK. Just reach in and grab it…the spider," he emphasized after he heard an intake of breath from behind him. He was so going to kill Ferritti later. "Drop it into the can as soon as you're clear." Jack nodded to Teal'c, who stepped closer once more, can held at the ready.

Sam nodded her head against his chest, acknowledging his order, took a deep breath, and reached into her shirt with a shaking hand. Jack looked away, not wanting to be caught staring down her shirt, even if he did have a good excuse for it! Just as Sam was about to grab the eight legged interloper, she felt a sharp prick against her skin that quickly turned into a burning sensation. "Oh shit," she whispered in resignation.

"What?" Jack shot out, his gaze automatically returning to the top of her head and subsequently, the hand down her shirt.

"I think it just bit me," her voice dropped even lower.

Jack's eyes met Teal'c's, both men showing not only their true fear for Sam, but also their alarm as to the repercussions to the whole base should they not contain the spider. That it just bit their team mate added a whole other dimension to the problem. The two men shared a long look while Jack held onto Sam and his eyes betrayed him at what he knew he must do. Teal'c nodded solemnly, his eyes never leaving O'Neills.

Closing his eyes briefly, Jack whispered into Sam's hair, "I'm really sorry, Carter." Then he released his hold on her and stepped back. Before she could turn around and question him, Jack aimed his Zat at her and fired quickly, then dropped his weapon and caught her before she hit the ground.

_I really didn't intend to put Sam through more but, upon a review by Feb04, the muse took off in another direction! But don't worry, the day is almost over...things have to start looking up soon! One more chapter to go. Unfortunately, I will be out of town for several days, then will be starting back at school for workshops. But I promise to try and have the last bit out within the next week. Thanks so much for reading...lots of hits and many super reviews, which really make my day!_


	8. Things Can Only Get Better

_My apologies for the long delay. In between getting my classroom ready for a new school year and moving my daughter back to college, my close friend was diagnosed with cancer. It's been a harrowing past few weeks, to say the least. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoy this final chapter of Days Like This! _

_Closing his eyes briefly, Jack whispered into Sam's hair, "I'm really sorry, Carter." Then he released his hold on her and stepped back. Before she could turn around and question him, Jack aimed his Zat at her and fired quickly, then dropped his weapon and caught her before she hit the ground._

**Chapter 8 – Things Can Only Get Better**

Sam very slowly became aware of her surroundings. Keeping her eyes firmly shut, she took stock with her senses. The first thing she noticed was the tingling sensation throughout her body; a tingling that was unfortunately way too familiar - a tingling that told her she had been zatted very recently. Sam's brain tried to grasp the how, when and why of being zatted, but she just couldn't seem to manage it yet.

Moving on, the next sense that kicked in was her hearing. She registered the beep and hum of machinery, the low mumbling of voices, and the click-clack of heels on the linoleum floor. Grimacing in recognition, Sam cracked open one eye, then groaned out loud as her intuition was confirmed. For the second time in under two hours, she found herself back in the infirmary.

Sam closed her eye again, trying desperately to recall what had put her there this time. Her mind was fuzzy on the details. She remembered something about her lab…a white gauze covering everything…being held by the Colonel…Her eyes popped open at that thought. Had that really happened? She looked around, blinking her eyes into focus and found herself rather surprised to find that she was alone. Usually, when she awoke in the infirmary, at least one of her team mates was likely to be found sitting next to her bed. Sam turned her head to her right, then smiled faintly. Good, some things were as they should be, she thought as she took in the sight next to her. Daniel sat slouched in the chair by her bedside, his head resting on his chest as he snored softly in sleep. Sam couldn't blame the man; neither one of them had slept a whole lot in the last 24 hours.

Sam's smile faltered. Had it really been less than 24 hours since she and Daniel had talked in her lab? Lifting her wrist to check her watch, Sam was dismayed to find it missing. She frowned fiercely at the IV tube leading out of her arm and into a packet of fluid hanging next to her left side. Great – just what she needed – to be hooked up to an IV for God knows how long. Sam decided that her next plan of action should be to find Janet and get some answers; there wasn't a chance in hell she was going to just sit here and _wait_ for someone to tell her what had happened. She cast a quick glance at her sleeping friend before flipping the covers back and moving her legs to the side of the bed.

Unfortunately, as Sam got to her feet, a strong wave of dizziness came over her, causing her to moan out loud and sink back onto the bed. Another, louder groan was emitted at the burning pain that shot across the top of her chest due to her abrupt movement. The noise brought Daniel out of his slumber quickly. His head shot up, glasses askew, as he looked across the bed at the slumped form of his friend sitting on the edge across from him. "Sam?" Daniel jumped to his feet and was around the side of the bed in an instant. He put his hands on her shoulders and eased her back into bed. "Just take it easy, Sam. You need to rest for a while."

Sam let herself be laid back against the pillows, her face wincing in discomfort even as her eyes remained focused on Daniel's concerned gaze. Once she had been settled back to his satisfaction, Daniel stood. "I'll just go and get Janet," he pointed toward the cubicle's opening. He was prevented from doing so when he felt a firm grip on his wrist. Eyebrow raised in surprise at the tight grip, he waited for her to speak.

She got right to the point. "What happened Daniel? Who shot me with a Zat?"

Daniel looked uncomfortable for a moment, then opened his mouth to answer. Before he could reply, a voice came from the opening in the curtain surrounding her bed. "Uh, that would be me."

Sam leant to the side, peering around Daniel. Although she knew who the voice belonged to, she just had to see for herself. Identity confirmed, she leaned back again and with a confused frown asked, "Sir?"

Jack winced slightly at the utter confusion in her voice, then stepped more fully into the room. Clearing his throat, he stated simply, "Sorry about that Carter. There didn't seem to be another choice at the time." Sam could see by the way his gaze roved over her and the pained look in his eyes that he felt true regret over using the Zat on her. But _why_ had he? The frustration of not remembering made her frown deepen. Sam looked away as she tried to corral her spinning thoughts. Jack cast a worried look at Daniel, both men assuming her actions spoke of her anger with Jack for his unexpected actions.

Daniel sat on the edge of her bed and took her hand in his. "Look Sam, there really wasn't any time to consider other options. None of us would ever hurt you on purpose. You know that." His voice was quiet but firm as he looked pleadingly into her eyes. Jack's look of regret deepened at his friend's words, but he remained quiet.

Sam gave Daniel an exasperated look. "I know none of you would hurt me on purpose, Daniel." The tone of voice made it clear that should be obvious. "I just can't remember _why _Colonel O'Neill shot me!" her voice rose in frustration as she looked at Daniel, then over to Jack.

The two men looked at each other, eyebrows raised in surprise, before Daniel got to his feet. "I'll just go and get Janet," he said, before hurrying out of the room.

Jack's eyes conveyed his worry as he looked at Sam. What if he had acted too late? What if a side effect of being bitten by the spider was memory loss? Instead of worrying how it might have looked, he should have reached inside her shirt and grabbed that damned spider when he had the chance! So engrossed in his own thoughts, Jack missed the look of uneasiness that crossed Sam's face as he continued to stare at her. "Sir? What happened?" The quietly stated question shook Jack from his thoughts.

Sighing, he walked to the side of Sam's bed and took the chair Daniel had recently vacated. Pulling it close, he sat down, rubbed a weary hand over his face, then looked into her expectant eyes. "You remember Felger telling us something was wrong in your lab?" At her nod, he continued. "And you remember breaking into your lab…then finding all the webs covering everything?"

Sam's brows knit in concentration as she recalled the state of her lab once they had entered. _That's what all that gauzy stuff was_, she thought to herself. Sam nodded her head in response to his question, but remained silent, willing him to continue as pictures began to form in her mind. "Uh, you remember what makes webs, right Carter?" He waited expectantly, eyebrows raised, as she processed his question.

"Spiders," Sam answered automatically, her mind still stuck on the state of her lab. Her gaze went to the covers of her bed, fingers absently plucking at the blanket, before what she had said sunk in. Lifting her head quickly, her eyes widened as realization sunk in. "Oh my God. Spiders," she whispered in alarm.

Jack grimaced. "Yeah. Spiders. Although there were only the two, thank God. Not the hundreds that Ferritti implied might be lurking around." He suppressed a shudder as he thought about that possible scenario. "The giant one's been taken down to the labs. Seems you were right about how it got so big. Fed on the electrical doodads in your lab. The smaller one, well…" he faltered as he waved absently at her gown, his cheeks flushing slightly.

Sam's face paled alarmingly, then flushed brightly as she suddenly recalled exactly _where_ the second spider had ended up. Not caring that her CO was watching her intently, Sam pulled the neck of the gown away and looked down at her chest. Rationally, she knew it wouldn't still be there, but for some reason, Sam just had to check for herself. She absently noted the small red bump high on her chest and the surrounding area of tender red skin, but heaved a sigh of relief at not finding an eight legged creature lurking under her gown.

Jack put his hand on her arm, drawing her attention back to him. "It's dead, Carter. Didn't survive the Zat, just like you said." He looked deeply into her eyes. "Sorry," he offered quietly, but both of them knew that he was apologizing for much more than killing the spider.

Sam gave him a soft smile of reassurance. "Better the spider than me, I guess."

"There's no guessing about that, Carter," Jack replied, the husky tone of voice and light squeeze to her arm telling her more than words ever could.

They looked at each other for just a moment longer before Sam blushed again and looked down. "Uhm, Sir, did you…er, do you know who…ah, how did the spider…" she bit her lip, unable to form the question.

Luckily for both of them, Janet chose that moment to enter the curtained off area, Daniel close behind her. As she had heard Sam's attempts to ask a question, Janet felt obligated to answer. "I removed the spider once we got down to the infirmary, Sam. It's been taken to the medical labs. We need to see if the spider venom is at all poisonous." At the worried looks that crossed all three faces, she hastened to assure them, "But so far, everything looks good. You're having a slight reaction to the spider bite, but I don't think it's anything to worry about. I'm giving you antibiotics, just in case," she indicated the hanging IV bag, then began to take Sam's vitals. "I've also applied a topical analgesic, to help with the itching and burning sensation. How are you feeling?" She looked up from her work and waited for Sam to answer.

Sam shrugged her shoulders. "Ok, I guess. Kind of stupid, to tell you the truth," she flushed as she recalled her actions in the lab earlier.

Janet patted her hand reassuringly. "Nothing to feel stupid about, Sam. You had an alien creature climbing on you. Your reactions were completely natural." She squeezed Sam's shoulder, then turned to check the IV bag before continuing. "Once my medical team is finished with it, the entomologists will get the smaller spider. But I think they are more excited about studying that huge one." Janet visibly shuddered at the memory of the gigantic spider lying on the floor of her friend's lab. The good doctor absolutely hated spiders and made a mental note to call an exterminator once her shift was over. After the events of this afternoon, she didn't want to take any chances that there might be spiders lurking in her rather damp, cluttered basement.

Janet was drawn back to the present by Daniel's question. "What about the memory loss? Sam couldn't remember what happened in her lab." His gaze fell on Sam, his eyes filled with wary concern.

"I remembered, Daniel," Sam offered with a look of embarrassment. "Colonel O'Neill clued me in."

Daniel's eyes showed his relief. "That's a relief. Not all the stuff that happened to you," he added hastily, then he gave her a smile. "You just had us all worried for a while there."

Sam gave him a small smile and muttered a quiet, "Sorry."

"The memory loss was probably just a side effect of being shot with the Zat gun," Janet explained, throwing Colonel O'Neill a quick look of displeasure. Even though she knew there hadn't been any other choice, the idea of her friend being on the wrong end of a Zat blast didn't sit well with her. And especially when the shooter was sitting right next to her. "Fortunately," she continued, looking back at Sam, "The Colonel had the foresight to catch you before you hit the floor. Otherwise, we could be dealing with more serious consequences."

At that announcement, Sam looked to Jack, eyes widened in surprise and face once again flushing in embarrassment. She did manage to squeak out a, "Thank you, Sir," before she looked away. First he sees her dancing around like a crazed woman, then with her hand down her shirt. Finally he has to catch her when she falls unconscious. How much more embarrassing was this going to get?

Her question was answered with the arrival of Colonel Ferritti. "Hey, our very own spider woman! Good to see you awake!" He grinned widely as he entered the curtained off area. Sam groaned and sunk further down under the covers. She felt a little better when Teal'c entered the room as well and none too gently pushed the annoying Colonel aside, throwing him a warning glare in the process.

"I am pleased to see you awake once again, Major Carter. You will be comforted to learn that your lab has been cleared of arachnids and the hazmat team is working on clearing the remainder of the webbing from your electronic machinery."

Sam smiled at Teal'c and sat up a bit straighter. "Thank you Teal'c.' She frowned slightly, looking around the room at the men gathered. If they were all up here, then who was in her lab? "Uh, do you know who's in charge down there?"

Teal'c inclined his head. "I believe that task has been given to Doctor Felger."

Eyes widening, a look of shock crossed her face. Sam gulped loudly, then squeaked out, "Felger? Felger's been left in charge of my lab? Oh my God, I've got to get down there." Sam threw back the covers and slid her legs over the side of the bed, heedless of the crowd in her room or their looks of surprise.

She didn't get far though, as Janet put a restraining hand on her arm. "You're not going anywhere, Sam. Not until I've made sure you won't have a reaction to the venom." As Sam continued to push against her hands, Janet's voice became more firm. "Sam! You've been bitten by an alien spider and just been zatted. You aren't going anywhere, do I make myself clear?"

The two women's eyes clashed for a few moments before Sam gave in and pulled her legs back under the covers. "Fine," she mumbled grumpily as her thoughts turned to what state her lab would be in when she could return.

"Uh, Sam? I'll go down and make sure things don't get moved around too much, OK?" Daniel offered hesitantly. He knew how he would feel if someone else were in charge of cleaning up his lab; he'd hate it as much as Sam hated the idea of Felger in her lab.

"I will accompany Daniel Jackson," Teal'c offered as well. "With our presence, I do not believe Dr. Felger will be overly fervent in his clean-up duties."

Sam looked at her two friends and smiled gratefully at them. Sinking back a bit more comfortably, for she was more tired than she wanted to admit, Sam quietly replied, "Thanks guys. I really appreciate it." She sat up again as she thought of something. "Daniel, don't let him near my computer. Last time he was in there…"

Daniel held up a hand and smiled. "No problem." As they turned to leave, he quickly turned back. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. That box the spiders came out of? Turns out it belonged to a Goa'uld named Anansi. He used spiders during his rule as a way to intimidate and control people. There was a hidden panel under the base that explains how the spiders were used." Daniel shuddered slightly as he recalled what he had been able to transcribe. "Not a nice guy, that Anansi. Sometimes, he'd wait until the spiders were even bigger than the one we found, and…"

Noting Sam's pale face, Jack interrupted. "That's OK, Danny. I think Carter's had enough of spiders for a while."

Sam gave him a grateful look, then gave a small wave as Teal'c and Daniel left the room. "And enough visitors," Janet added, giving Jack and Ferritti a meaningful look. "Sam needs her rest."

Sam sat up a bit. "Can I at least have my laptop? I have reports that are due in…" she looked to the clock on the wall, "Less than 2 hours?" her voice squeaked as it rose to the edge of panic.

Jack stood up and pushed her gently back into the pillows. "Take it easy, Carter. General Hammond is graciously going to accept my reports on the mission for the time being." She stared at him in shock. "I'll get Daniel to help with some of the bigger words, don't worry," he winked at her when she continued to gap at him in disbelief.

"But," she protested.

"Uh-uh," he raised a finger in warning. "You need to rest, like the doc says. That's an order," he added a bit more firmly when it looked like she was going to protest once more. "Besides, Hammond is going to order you to take a few days down time as well, so you'd better get used to it."

Visibly deflating, Sam mumbled, "Well, that's just great. Tons of things to do and everyone wants me to rest." Jack smiled at the less than submissive comment, then turned to Ferritti. "Come on Ferritti. We've got reports to write and Little Miss Muffet needs some peace and quiet." Ferritti chuckled and turned to follow Jack out the door, neither man seeing Sam roll her eyes after the two officers.

--------

Sam let out a yawn and looked at the clock on the wall. 2340. She hadn't seen nor heard from any of the guys for the past hour. She knew they were busy with tasks that she should be doing, which didn't make it any easier for her to lie quietly in bed. Feelings of guilt assailed her: not only were there reports that she should be writing, she was also itching to get back to her lab. Sam didn't mind admitting it: she was bored to death lying here with nothing to do. The thought that she might have to spend another two days "resting" was enough to make her want to scream.

The infirmary was quiet; all but a few night duty nurses going about their work. Janet had gone home an hour ago with strict instructions not to allow Major Carter out of bed for anything except to use the bathroom. She would be kept in overnight, just to make sure she didn't have any late onset reactions to the spider venom. Janet had even gone so far as to threaten her with a sedative if she didn't agree to stay in bed. Sam had given in, albeit with protest.

The antibiotics in question were slowly dripping in Sam's arm via the IV. She glared at the contraption with distain, then tugged experimentally on the tubing. Her head shot up in surprise when she heard a voice from the doorway. "Ah-ah, Carter. Doc doesn't like it when you play with her medical contraptions. Makes her cranky." Jack smiled as he stepped closer to the bed, one hand held firmly behind his back, the other in his front pocket.

Sam returned her hands to her lap and sighed. "That would make two of us."

Jack's smile widened. "You? Cranky? Never!" he protested with mock outrage.

Her lips quirked just a bit before the smile disappeared. Sam leaned back against the pillows and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Sir, but I just can't shake this feeling of…frustration? Anger? I don't even know what to call it."

"Ah," Jack nodded his head knowingly. "You're in what I like to call an advanced state of pisstivity. Had those once or twice myself, Carter."

This time, the smile broke through. "Pisstivity? Is that even a word?"

"Sure it is," Jack shrugged as he came closer to the bed. "You knew what I meant the minute I said it, didn't you?"

Sam shrugged her shoulders. "Well, yes, but…"

"So there you have it. It's a word that means exactly how you're feeling right now; pissed off about just about everything. Am I right?"

Sam chuckled softly, amazed how a few words from this man could change her mood so quickly. "Yeah, I guess you are."

Jack smiled smugly. "And I know _just_ the cure for blond Air Force Majors who are in an advanced state of pisstivity."

Sam's eyebrows rose in curiosity as a smile crossed her face. "You do? Pray tell, Sir, would you share this miraculous cure with me?"

"I would be delighted, Carter." He began to take his right hand from behind his back, but stopped before he could reveal what he was hiding. Holding up his left hand, index finger raised, he warned, "Now keep in mind, Carter, that cures for this disease are very individualized. What works for one person will not necessarily work for another. Very important to remember that."

Sam nodded solemnly. "I'll remember, Sir."

"Good," he nodded. Then, with an exaggerated flourish, he brought his right hand forward, revealing a glimmering, wobbling dessert cup filled with blue jello. "Tada – you're very own cure to help you get rid of the state of pisstivity!"

Sam's eyes shined with delight and gratitude. As she reached for the offering, she grinned up at him. "I think it's working already, Sir."

Jack let his fingers linger for moment over hers as he passed her the jello, then smiled as he released the cup. "A medical miracle, if I do say so myself, Carter!"

He watched her eat in silence for a few moments. Not wanting to ruin the light mood he had created with talk of reports, her lab, or in general her bad day, Jack cocked his head thoughtfully at her. Putting his hands into his pockets, he rocked back on his heels and said with all the seriousness he could muster, "So Carter. I've been wondering something." At her questioning look, he continued. "You been having any strange feelings yet?" When she cocked an eyebrow at him in question, he elaborated. "Heightened senses, feeling like you could jump 20 feet in a single bound, knowing something's going to happen before it does…you know, spidey-sense?"

Sam choked on a piece of jello, coughing and sputtering at his inane question. Jack reached over and pounded her on the back. When she had quieted down, he stated regretfully, "Guess not. Would have come in handy, out in the field, dontcha think?"

She gave him a look, wondering if he was teasing or not, before she mumbled, "I'd really rather not think about it, Sir."

"I suppose not," he sighed, but the twinkle in his eyes gave him away and she shook her head at him. "Well, guess I should let you get some more of that rest the doc ordered." When her face fell at his words, he lightly admonished, "Ah ah, Carter. Give that cure a chance to take hold, would ya?" He indicated the half eaten bowl of jello, then gave her a crooked smile. "By tomorrow, you should be feeling your bright, chipper self once more."

She gave him a doubtful look. "You sure about that, Sir?"

"Of course," he stated with confidence. "After the day you've had, things can only get better, right?"

They shared a long look before Sam replied quietly, "I think they already have, Colonel."

Jack smiled warmly at her. "Well then, my work here is finished. See you tomorrow, Carter."

Sam smiled back and whispered, "Thank you, Sir." They shared another smile of understanding before Jack turned on his heel, ready to take himself off for a good night's sleep.

As he turned to go, Sam felt a sense of peace and contentment wash over her that she hadn't felt all day...maybe all week. Looking at the hands of the clock across from her bed, she smiled to herself: 2358. In just two minutes, it would be the start of a new day. Sam lay back and let her eyes drift closed, ready to give in to her body's demand for sleep.

A soft sound wafted its way in to her and her eyes popped open. A content smile crossed her face. She could hear Jack as he made his way to the infirmary door, whistling softly as he went. The smile turned into a look of disbelief as she recognized the tune and she listened for a few moments to make sure she had it right. Sure enough, the melody drifting back to her was the fading tune of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", being whistled by none other than Colonel Jack O'Neill.

Samantha Carter allowed herself to chuckle as she shook off the dredges of a bad day and began herself to look forward to the next. After all, as her CO had told her, things could only get better. As she drifted off the sleep, her mind conjured up the words to the song Jack had been whistling and she fell asleep knowing that she was bound to have a better day tomorrow.

_The Itsy Bitsy Spider went up the water spout. Down came the rain and washed the spider out. Up came the sun and dried up all the rain, and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again_.


End file.
